The celebration of the fans of the Chiefs of Kansas City It ended in tragedy. After winning their second consecutive Super Bowl, fans gathered for another parade commemorating the achievement and the evening ended with a shooting that is still being investigated.
Following the chaos that left one person dead and more than twenty injured, it is difficult to think that the celebration of a future title of the Chiefs —or any team—is carried out in the same way that happened this past Wednesday.
“They have to think twice before doing these parades,†warned Bill Evans, former Boston police commissioner, who in 38 years with the department worked on 12 championship celebrations and faced the situation after the bombing at the city marathon in 2013. “When you have so many people in the same place, nothing good can happen.†.
Up to 1 million fans came to celebrate the Chiefs’ victory last Wednesday, three days after their 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl LVIII. The event included a parade down Grand Boulevard, followed by a rally in front of Union Station.
But the music quickly subsidized and the shouting and fighting began. According to authorities, the shooting began due to a fight between fans, but the truth is that violence in Kansas City has become a worrying trend, in which sports celebrations become deadly.
Violence in Kansas City has been elevated by sports-related celebrations
In the last year alone, at least 10 people were injured by gunfire in downtown Denver, where fans were celebrating the Nuggets’ crowning of the NBA, and two people were arrested – although no one was injured – when A person fired shots into the air due to a problem in a parking lot, after the Texas Rangers parade for their victory in the World Series.
Quinton Lucas, mayor of Kansas City, said the city will continue celebrating its victories. He even assured that the holding of the parade by the St. Patrick’s Day, to take place next month, it will also be carried out without any problem.
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However, Lucas acknowledged that there will be time to rethink how the championships are celebrated. “If we are blessed enough to win a Super Bowl again, would we do this again? Or would we just say, ‘go to Arrowhead Stadium, go through the metal detectors’? Would we hold a safer and smaller event?†the mayor asked in statements to the local television channel KMBC.
“I think many of us, particularly those thinking about bringing our children somewhere, might ask, at least for a while: ‘Is this what we want to risk?†‘†he added. “It is a shame that this is what we have reached today in the United States and in our city.â€
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