Super Bowl parade shooting: Two men charged with murder
Two individuals have been formally charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting that occurred during last week’s Super Bowl victory parade in Kansas City.
The incident resulted in the death of a woman and injuries to 22 others, according to police reports, which indicated that the shooting stemmed from an altercation between the two accused men.
The suspects, identified as Dominic Miller and Lyndell Mays, sustained gunshot wounds themselves during the altercation. Last week, two teenagers were also charged with resisting arrest and firearms violations.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced that the two men were facing charges of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Ms. Peters Baker alleged that Mr. Mays instigated the altercation at the parade and brandished a handgun. Subsequently, other individuals produced firearms, including Mr. Miller, whom prosecutors believe fatally shot 43-year-old Lisa Lopez Galvan during the incident.
Both suspects are currently being held on a $1 million bond. Following the shooting, they were initially transported to a hospital for treatment of their injuries and are currently recuperating there.
In response to the arrests, the family of Ms. Lopez Galvan expressed gratitude, stating that while it cannot bring back their loved one, they are comforted by the efforts of the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Kansas City Police Department to pursue justice for her and the other victims of the shooting, as well as the community at large.
Their charges are in addition to the two teenagers who were charged last week.
“These are adults,” Ms Peters Baker said, clarifying confusion about the new charges. “There are two juveniles that has been reported already pretty broadly by the news media. Those are being handled by a different office at this point in time.”
Court documents released on Tuesday allege that the incident stemmed from a verbal altercation between Mr Mays and four people who asked “what he was looking at”.
Surveillance footage of the shooting shows that Mr Mays approached the other group aggressively and pointed at them “in an angry manner” before drawing his weapon.
He later told police he “hesitated shooting because he knew there were kids there”, but began firing after he heard someone in the rival group say he would “get him”.
Mr Miller initially told police he was trying to flee when he was struck by gunfire, but later recanted when faced with video evidence. He admitted to shooting four or five times. One of the bullets fired by his gun struck Ms Lopez Galvan.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing. Ms Peters Baker said that further charges may follow.
“We seek to hold every shooter accountable for their actions on that day – every single one,” she said. “So while we’re not there yet on every single individual, we’re going to get there.”
The 22 people wounded in the incident ranged in age from eight to 47, according to Kansas City police.
The shooting was one of several to take place at sports celebrations across the US in recent memory.
In June last year, a shooting at a celebration for the Denver Nuggets NBA team left 10 people wounded, including one of two people charged about the incident
