An argument between several fans sparked the shooting that gave the Kansas City Chiefs their third NFL title. Stacey Graves, the head of the city's police department, assures that this is the main line of investigation into the events that led to the death of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 45-year-old woman, and the injury of 22 other people. Graves reported this Thursday that the age range of those injured was between 8 and 47 years old. They are recovering in Missouri city hospitals. Half of the victims are under 16 years old.
The people allegedly responsible for the event are also minors. Graves said they are interviewing two teenagers about the role they played in celebrating the team defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas. A third detainee was released after the events because authorities believe he did not take part in the events. A video showed some fans catching up and knocking down one of the gunmen who tried to escape and take advantage of the confusion. The event brought nearly a million people together near Union Station.
The age of the suspects has slowed the pace of the investigation. “The two teenagers remain in custody as we wait for specialized prosecutors to review the findings and determine the appropriate charges,” Graves reported. Prosecutors have 24 hours to file charges against a suspect. Otherwise it can be released. The police chief explained this morning that this rule does not apply to minors.
Two of the injured remain in critical condition and continue to be treated in intensive care. The doctors were optimistic about the development of the patients, who were operated on a few minutes after their transfer. The lives of the injured minors are also out of danger, a spokeswoman for Children's Mercy Hospital said on Wednesday evening. Six children have been discharged and another three continue to be treated at this center, although their full recovery is expected in the next few hours.
Ubiquitous weapons
“We have seized several firearms. “The investigation remains very active,” reported Police Chief Graves.
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The Kansas City shooting reminded us that guns are everywhere. Even in celebratory moments, as it should be. This was said by the city's mayor, Quinton Lucas, in the first press conference after the tragedy.
“This is what happens with firearms.” There were more than 800 police officers present. “We had people on the roofs and even then there is a danger to the population,” said the Democratic politician in a press conference in which he had not yet digested what had happened.
Sports title celebrations, Fourth of July parades, churches, stores and businesses, schools and private homes. The armed force of the United States is capable of creeping into any place, no matter how intimate. “There is no safe place when our gun regulations are broken,” said Giffords, a lobbyist pushing for tougher laws in a country where four in 10 adults live in a home with a gun. 32% of Americans admit to having one.
According to Giffords, Missouri is one of the states with the laxest gun laws. Only Wyoming and Arkansas have laws worse than those in this region, which, by the way, has never been governed by a woman.
In 2007, state politicians scrapped a decades-old rule that required all buyers to undergo a background check and obtain a permit from local police before purchasing a firearm. This change caused firearm homicides to increase from 25% to 47%, causing between 50 and 70 deaths each year. The number of suicides also increased.
Nine years later, the Republican-led Congress passed new measures to make gun purchases easier. The state then joined other conservative bastions in no longer requiring permits to carry weapons in public. Various studies conclude that making it easier to carry a gun has an impact on public safety. Violent crimes are increasing by 13 to 15%, while homicides are increasing by an average of 11%.
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