Shots rang out in a crowd outside Union Station during the Kansas City Chiefs' victory parade before Paul Contreras "didn't hesitate" in jumping to action and tackling on shooter suspect to the ground
| Kansas City hero Paul Contreras was with his daughter Alyssa when gunshots rang out / Image by themirror.com |
A Kansas City Chiefs fan told how he "didn't hesitate" to fight a shooting suspect to the floor after gunfire rang out during the Super Bowl victory parade.
Panic struck during the parade at Union Station after three armed suspects reportedly opened fire west of the station's parking garage, with one confirmed dead and up to 29 injured - including eight children. Footage captured the moment fans rushed to tackle on suspect to the floor, with Paul Contreras recounting how he jumped to action.
The 46-year-old was with his daughter Alyssa, who managed to capture the moment on camera as Paul pinned the suspected shooter down. Paul said: "One guy was hollering, saying, you know, 'stop him – catch him, tackle him, or whatever' - and he’s just barely running and out of nowhere I hear that guy hollering, so I’m just like, 'OK, I’m right here'."
| The moment the gunman was apprehended was captured on video/image by/Social media |
| Amid the chaos, hero Paul tried to tackle the gunman to the floor/image by/Social media |
Paul explained how he "didn't hesitate" about whether to intervene, saying it was an instant "reaction". Paul told how he and another man placed themselves between the suspect and the rest of a nearby crowd, adding: "I went to go tackle him and another gentleman did the same thing. And as I’m tackling him, I see there’s a weapon that either fell out his hand, or out of his sleeve – because he was wearing a long jacket", he explained to KETV
The dutiful sports fan explained how the suspect continued to fight and in attempt to get away, as he and the fellow brave parader-goer called out for the cops who arrived within a minute. Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves, during a news conference today, said the investigation is ongoing as parties of fans were being transported to hospitals - with 29 people, including children, being treated for gunshot wounds at three nearby hospitals.
Eight victims had immediate life-threatening injuries, seven were considered to have life-threatening wounds and six suffered minor injuries. KC police, in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, said it had three suspects detained.
Police said about 20 shots were fired west of the station near the garage and "several people were struck"-including multiple children who are reportedly being treated at Children's Mercy Hospital.
Graves patted responding police on the back before denouncing the shooters for spoiling the joyous event. "We were here for a celebration," she lamented. "Now because of two bad actors, we are standing here. This is not Kansas City." The shooting broke the celebratory mood on Valentine's Day as Chiefs fans marked their third Super Bowl title in five seasons with a parade.
Credit by
themirror.com