Who are the victims of the Kansas City shooting? Radio DJ mother-of-two killed at Super Bowl parade
Lisa Lopez-Galvan was a 43-year-old mother of two and local radio DJ
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At least 23 people were shot, including multiple children, in a mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade near Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday 14 February .
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference that half of the victims shot in the attack are children while one victim – a 43-year-old mother-of-two – died.
Nearly a week after the shooting, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office announced they charged Lyndell Mays and Dominic Miller with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action.
Officials say Mr Mays was the first one to draw his gun during a dispute with other people present at the parade. Meanwhile, Mr Miller may have fired the fatal shot that killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan, according to court documents and Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters-Baker.
So far, the investigation has found that the shooting stemmed from a dispute between people and was not terrorism-related, police said.
Prosecutors with the Jackson County, Missouri Family Court Division also charged two juveniles in connection to the shooting, officials said in a statement two days after the shooting. That news comes after officials detained three individuals in connection to the shooting. One of the three was released Thursday without charge.
“The juveniles are currently detained in secure detention at the Juvenile Detention Center on gun related and resisting arrest charges,” the Division said in a statement. “It is anticipated that additional charges are expected in the future as the investigation by the Kansas City Police Department continues.”
The identities of the juvenile suspects have yet to be released.
Here’s what we know so far about the victims:
Beloved mother and radio DJ killed
Among the 23 people shot, one woman – Lisa Lopez-Galvan – was killed.
Lopez-Galvan was a 43-year-old mother-of-two and beloved local radio DJ. She died on scene, police said.
Her adult son and cousins, believed to be minors, also may have been wounded in the shooting, The Kansas City Star reported.
Beto Lopez, the victim’s brother, told ABC News that his sister “loved her family” and had a “life-of-the-party” personality.
“She was dearly loved in this community and gave a lot back,” Mr Lopez said.
Ms Lopez-Galvan’s two adult children and two other relatives – daughters of her cousin – were also with her at the parade, The Kansas City Star reports. Ms Lopez-Galvan’s son was shot and has since been released from the hospital, according to the outlet.
The two young girls were also struck, but their wounds are not life-threatening, a relative told The Kansas City Star.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife visited the two girls – eight and 10 years old – in the hospital. KMBC reported that both girls are in recovery after undergoing surgery, with doctors expecting them to remain in casts for several months.
“While we are relieved by their progress, the emotional healing continues for all of us,” the girls’ family said in a statement.
“The girls were celebrating with many family members when they were senselessly injured. We kindly ask that you continue to keep our family and the other families affected in your thoughts and prayers.”
Ms Lopez-Galvan worked as a local DJ, with her radio station KKFI also confirming her death in a statement.
“It is with sincere sadness and an extremely heavy and broken heart that we let our community know that KKFI DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of Taste of Tejano, lost her life today in the shooting at the KC Chiefs’ rally,” the station said.
“This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” they continued.
Manny Abarca, a Kansas City lawmaker and friend of Lopez-Galvan, also memorialised her in a post on X.
“I have known Lisa and her family for over a decade. I have witnessed that smile across DJ equipment, and on the stage of our largest Fiesta in #KansasCity,” he said.
“I will not let her death go in vein. I will legislate, I will fight and I WILL do everything in my power to change this State and City for the better.”
10-year-old boy shot while attending parade with family
Samuel Arellano, 10, had attended the parade with his grandfather, aunt and uncle. He was struck by a bullet which hit him just under the arm.
“When I heard the gunshots, I hid,” Samuel told The Independent. “I fell to the ground and then hid behind a trashcan.”
But because the gunshot wound didn’t bleed, Samuel and his family didn’t discover the wound until they arrived home. After Samuel was taken to the hospital, doctors “took some parts of the bullet out” and told Samuel’s family the injury had been within centimetres of his pulmonary artery.
One victim says he and his family members were shot
Another survivor, Jacob Gooch, told CBS Mornings about the moments leading up to the shooting. Mr Gooch said he, his wife and his son were all shot.
“I personally did not see the shooter,” Mr Gooch said. “I heard the altercation of a girl or some girls like ‘don’t do it, not here, this is stupid’ or something like that. And then the gunshots, which at the time I thought were fireworks.”
The survivor also told CBS Mornings that he saw a group of suspicious people before gunshots rang out, though he was not sure if they were actually connected to the attack.
“I mean, I got suspicious of a certain group of people that were there,” Mr Gooch said. “We were standing on the left side of the stage when the shooting ended up happening. And right before it ended up happening, there was this group dressed in all black. About four, five, six kids with black on, black masks.”
“They disappeared into the crowd and then the show ended and as soon as we started walking around, it happened,” he continued.
Half the victims are under 16
The 22 surviving gunshot victims include multiple children, with police confirming that at least half of the victims are aged under 16.
The youngest victim is just eight years old, while the oldest is 47, the police chief said.
Children’s Mercy Kansas City Hospital treated 11 children on the night of the shooting, Senior vice-president and chief nursing officer Stephanie Meyer said. Nine of those children suffered gunshot wounds.
All of the children who suffered gunshot wounds have since been discharged from the hospital, the Kansas City Star reported on 17 February.
Kansas City Fire Chief Ross Grundyson provided updates on the severity of injuries at a press conference: “Eight critical, seven serious, and six patients with minor injuries. All the critical patients were transported off the scene within 10 minutes of our point of contact with them.”