KC Mayor on Chiefs parade shooting: ‘That’s what happens with guns’

LOS ANGELES – The Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade and rally took a horrific turn as a mass shooting broke out at the tail end of the festivities.

The shooting reportedly killed at least one person and left 20 others hurt on a day meant to celebrate the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl runs.

How was a tragedy like this even possible – especially when security was tight throughout the parade? That was the question one of the reporters on scene asked Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas:

“You had over 800 officers deployed to work this parade,” the reporter said, in part. “And still, in the matter of moments, 22 people were shot.”

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Lucas gave a blunt response on how the mass shooting took place.

“I mean, that’s what happens with guns,” Lucas said.

The Kansas City Mayor highlighted the grim reality of how Americans are constantly at risk during large gatherings – regardless of how aggressive of an approach officials take in tightening security.

“What you saw happen was why people talk about guns a lot,” Lucas said. “We had over 800 officers there staffed, situated all around Union Station today. We had security in in any number of places. Eyes on top of buildings and beyond. And there still is a risk to people. And I think that’s something that all of us who are parents, who are just regular people living each day, have to decide what we wish to do about it. Parades, rallies, schools. Movies. It seems like almost nothing is safe.”

The NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs issued the following statements in response to Wednesday’s deadly shooting:

Below is a full response from Lucas:

“I mean, that’s what happens with guns. I won’t get in a big debate right now. I think we’re still doing an investigation. But I mean, what you saw happen was why people talk about guns a lot. We had over 800 officers there staffed, situated all around Union Station today. We had security in in any number of places. Eyes on top of buildings and beyond. And there still is a risk to people. And I think that’s something that all of us who are parents, who are just regular people living each day, have to decide what we wish to do about it. Parades, rallies, schools. Movies. It seems like almost nothing is safe. And we had hundreds of law enforcement there working hard today. And I want to I do want to echo what the chief said. We’re running towards danger, but in a matter of seconds, someone who wants to disrupt anything. Someone who wants to create any type of situation, or someone who is very simply reckless, can change not just one life or two lives, but almost two dozen. And that, to me is absolutely devastating, and it makes me feel vastly more concerned as a parent just in the world today thinking about that.”