An eyewitness to the horrific shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade claimed a woman begged a gunman, “Don't do it,” seconds before he spun in circles to spray bullets into as many people as possible.
Jacob Gooch Jr., who was shot in the chaos along with his wife and son, told CBS Mornings that he heard a young woman tell the gunman, “Not here, this is stupid.”
“My wife and daughter saw the gun come out and start firing,” he said. “My daughter said a lady was holding him back…then he pulled out (the gun) and started shooting and spinning in circles.”
The shots came seconds after the Chiefs stars left the stage at their Super Bowl celebration, sparking chaos as thousands of fans fled for their lives.
The total number of people shot rose to 30 Thursday morning as several more people were treated for minor injuries and at least eight victims remained in critical condition.
Nine children between the ages of six and 15 were shot in the chaos and a popular Kansas City radio disc jockey was killed.
Shooting victim Jacob Gooch Jr. (pictured) said his wife and daughter, who was also shot, heard a woman begging a gunman not to start shooting seconds before the gunman circled around filmed to meet as many people as possible
Heroic Kansas City Chiefs fans tackled a suspected shooter to the ground amid the chaos
Gooch said he did not see the shooter in person but was at a distance because he remembered initially thinking the shots were fireworks.
He said he was shot in the ankle, his wife was shot through the calf muscle and his son suffered a gunshot wound to the foot, but fortunately his family was OK except for the wounds and returned home from the hospital.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said over 800 police officers were stationed around the parade, and Gooch said the safety of him and his family was barely on their minds as they made their way to the family event .
“(It was) just a few happy people,” he said — then added that he became terrified about 15 minutes before the shooting began.
“I became suspicious of a certain group of people who were there,” he said.
“We were standing on the side of the stage where the shooting happened, and right before it happened, there was this group dressed all in black.”
“There were about four, five, six kids, or they looked like kids, with black masks and black masks, and they disappeared into the crowd.”
He said there was panic and chaos after the show ended, but his view of the bloodshed was clouded as the huge crowd frantically ran for safety.
Lisa Lopez-Galvan, pictured here with her husband, was the only person to lose her life on the day of the shooting, dying of a gunshot wound to the abdomen during surgery at a hospital
This comes at a time when tributes have been paid to the only person who lost their life in the shooting: popular Kansas City radio DJ and mother of two, Lisa Lopez-Galvan.
She died during emergency surgery at the hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Local Democrat Manny Abarca, a friend of Lopez-Galvan, spoke about her influence in an interview with TalkTV's Jeremy Kyle and Rosie Wright on Talk Today.
“It's a tragic situation.” I was there with my six-year-old daughter Camilla and we not only caught confetti but hid in the bathroom, not knowing what our fate would be. Unfortunately, this is the state of affairs at major events like this in America.
“We need to pay attention to those who have guns that are easily accessible, especially in states like Missouri.”
While dozens of Kansas City Chiefs fans lay in the hospital, star tight end Travis Kelce sparked backlash by partying into the night.
While out for dinner with his teammates in Kansas City, Kelce appeared to be in good spirits as he smiled and took a selfie with a police officer.
Some fans found the move inappropriate. One said: “In my opinion, things are not looking good for him a few hours after one person was killed and others injured.”
Travis Kelce sparked backlash when he hosted his Super Bowl victory party at a Kansas City restaurant last night after the shooting
Just hours after the Chiefs' Superbowl parade descended into tragedy, the tight end appeared to be in good spirits
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas gave a news conference at 6 a.m. Thursday to reassure residents that three suspects were in custody — but declined to name the gunmen
Kelce enjoyed the evening before Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas gave an update on the investigation and said he would consider blocking all Super Bowl victory parades next year if the Chiefs win again after Wednesday's horror mass shooting .
The 39-year-old mayor said three suspects remained under questioning over the tragedy, but declined to identify the gunmen who shot 21 people and killed one at Wednesday's Superbowl parade.
Lucas gave few new details about the tragedy early Thursday morning and apologized at a 6 a.m. news conference Thursday for “failing to ensure everyone's safety” at the family event.
“I’m sorry this happened yesterday,” he said.
“We worked hard to put on an extraordinary parade, we spent millions on it, but we failed to keep everyone safe and that is something I feel great guilt about.”
In an interview with CBS, he added that the motive for the massacre remained a mystery and condemned easy access to firearms in Missouri, saying, “I don't want to live like that.”
Lucas did not specify the type of weapon used, but said it appeared to be “some type of rapid-fire weapon.”