Lyndell Mays and Dominic M. Miller were identified as the suspects accused in connection with the shootings of at least 22 people during the parade to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory in the Super Bowl.
According to the New York Post, Mays’ family started a GoFundMe page for him because he was also shot. It has since been deleted.
“Two Kansas City men face murder and other felony charges in connection with the homicide and non-fatal shootings outside Union Station last Wednesday following the parade and rally for the Kansas City Chiefs,” Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced February 19 in a press release.
“Dominic M Miller of Kansas City and Lyndell Mays of Raytown each face Murder in the 2nd Degree, two counts of Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Use of a Weapon,” the news release says. Two teenagers are also facing charges in connection with the mass shooting, but they have not been named, according to CNN.
One of the victims is deceased, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said in a February 14 press conference. In a second media update, the chief said, “Our gunshot wound total has went up to 22.”
She said that three people were “detained” in the mass shooting. Some of the victims were children, Kansas City Fire Department Interim Chief Ross Grundyson said in the press conference. He said eight victims had “immediately life-threatening: wounds. The most seriously injured were taken to hospitals within 10 minutes, he said. Six people had minor injuries.
Lisa Lopez-Galvan has been named in media reports as a deceased victim of the shooting. According to the Kansas City Star, which confirmed her identity through friends, she was a mother and a local disc jockey.
According to CNN, Miller is accused of shooting Lopez.
Lisa Lopez-Gavlan/FacebookLisa Lopez-Gavlan poses with her husband, Mike Galvan, in November 2020.
The situation was so chaotic that even Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said he started running as gunfire broke out. There were 850 law enforcement officers working at the parade, he said.
Videos showed fans appearing to pursue a suspect. They also showed fans performing CPR on a victim.
Graves said she isn’t sure how many of the victims suffered gunshot wounds. She said she did not yet have conditions on victims, and she said she did not believe any of the victims were children. “We still have parties who are walking into hospitals,” Graves said.
There were 656 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Prosecutor Says a ‘Verbal Altercation’ Led to the Shootings
According to the prosecutor’s releasee, the defendants “attended a Super Bowl parade and rally on Feb. 14, 2024, and were armed with firearms. A verbal altercation occurred and gunfire broke out with no regard for thousands of other individuals in the area.”
“Both defendants are being held on a $1 million bond,” it says.
CNN reported that Mays “was in a verbal argument with another person that escalated, and Mays then drew a handgun. Almost immediately, Miller and others pulled their firearms, leading to the shootout.”
They did not know each other, CNN reported. Miller was also hospitalized, according to CNN.
Right as the rally concluded, there were “shots fired on the west side of Union Station,” Graves said. She said the shots were fired right when the rally concluded and that she heard the gunshots herself.
Two people were “immediately” taken into custody, she said. Police administered aid to victims. In the second media update, she clarified that three people were not detained.
To the people who were injured, “Our hearts go out to you,” Graves said.
Graves said there were “two bad actors or more.”
“We are working on identifying our deceased victim,” she said.
Asked if there were two shooting scenes, Graves said there is a crime scene west of Union Station. Police are investigating whether there is a second scene. There was an earlier shooting, but police are not sure if it’s connected.
“Right now we do not have a motive,” Graves said.
The fire official said that some victims were taken to Children’s Hospital, which only accepts people up to age 17. However, the ages of the victims, and how many are children, is not yet clear.
Police are creating a centralized phone number for victims, witnesses, and anyone with video or any information about what led up to the shooting, Graves said.
In the second press conference, the mayor said there were a number of people “caught up in the incident in some way.”“Today was tragic for everyone who was part of it,” he said.
2. Lyndell Mays’ Mother Started the GoFundMe because He ‘Is in the ICU Fighting for a Recovery’
Teneal Burnside created the GoFundMe for Mays, 23, “showing him lying in a hospital bed recovering from nine bullet wounds from the shootout he allegedly confessed to starting,” The New York Post reported.
“He is in the ICU fighting for a recovery from several surgeries from going to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration with his older sister,” the GoFundMe said, according to the Post, before it was deleted.
Graves said she heard that fans “got involved in the apprehension or the pursuit of one of the suspects.” But she said she could not confirm that.
In the second media update, Graves said police are aware of “a video of some fans tackling someone. We do have three persons detained and under investigation.” She added that police are “working to determine if one of the three is the one in that video where fans assisted police.”
There was a pursuit, Graves said.
CNN reported that Miller was tackled by a fan.
Video showed what appears to be fans pursuing a possible suspect.
“We tackled him,” a fan says in a video from the scene. “I’ve got the guy,” someone else said.
3. Lisa Lopez-Galvan Was Remembered as ‘The Most Wonderful, Beautiful Person’
Lisa Gavlan-Lopez/FacebookChiefs fan Lisa Lopez-Gavlan and husband, Mike Gavlan in 2021.
Tributes flowed for Lopez-Galvan.
“She was the most wonderful, beautiful person,” said Lisa Lopez, a friend, to the Kansas City Star. “She was a local DJ. She did everybody’s weddings. We all know her. She was so full of life.”
Asked what prompted the shooting, the chief said it was too early to determine a motive. Graves said it was an ongoing investigation. “I will say though we do have two suspects in custody,” she said.
Graves said “officers ran towards danger. Officers were there to keep everyone safe.”
She said the investigation is just beginning. “This is still an active investigation,” she said.
“I’m angry at what happened today. The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment. We had over 800 law enforcement officers . . . at the location to keep everyone safe. Because of bad actors, which were very few, this tragedy occurred.”
4. Lyndell Mays Is Accused of Telling Police That He Was ‘Just Being Stupid’ When He Opened Fire With a Stolen Gun
According to CNN, Mays confessed to the shooting, telling police he opened fire when others said, “I’m going to get you.”
“Stupid, man. Just pulled a gun out and started shooting,” Mays is accused of telling police. “I shouldn’t have done that. Just being stupid.”
The gun was stolen, CNN reported.
Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, said there were 600 Kansas City, Missouri, police officers and 250 from outside agencies at the parade. “That celebration was marred by a shooting today,” he said. “We recognize that there are some who are injured.”
The players, coaches, and staff are all accounted for and safe, said Lucas. He said the White House had offered “all federal assistance” in the investigation. Lucas thanked “the women and men of law enforcement” and those working with the Fire Department and other agencies.
Lucas said he ran for safety but he saw officers with guns drawn “who were running towards danger. We thank them for that.”
He said officials are praying for people. He said some people were “seriously injured.” He said this is “absolutely a tragedy.”
5. A Witness Says She Felt ‘Like I Was Going to Die’
Madison Anderes, 24, told CNN she heard the gunshots and ran.
“At first we thought it was a string of fireworks,” Anderes told CNN, adding that a man nearby shouted, “He’s got a gun! He’s got a gun!” She then heard a second round of gunfire, CNN reported.
“That’s when all chaos broke out,” Anderes told CNN. “I felt like I was going to die, I felt like a sitting duck and I was going to get shot.”
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