The Kansas City Chiefs held their victory parade in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, to celebrate their Super Bowl LVIII win on Feb. 14. The parade soon became the scene of a murder. Both 23-year-old Lyndell Mays and 18-year-old Dominic Miller have been charged with second-degree murder and several weapons counts over an argument that resulted in shots being fired.
Liza Lopez-Galvan was an innocent bystander in the crowd. Lopez-Galvan was hit by a bullet fired from Miller’s gun, which resulted in her death. According to The Seattle Times, 22 others were injured due to the burst of gunfire, and of the 22 people, more than half were children.
A surveillance video shows that both men were in separate friend groups enjoying the parade. In the video, Mays aggressively approached the other group alongside his friend. Despite being around many innocent bystanders, including children, Mays fired the first shot.
According to Miller, his group ran after hearing the gunshots, which led to him getting shot in the back, but after investigators revealed that they had video of him shooting, he altered his story. The affidavit says that Miller admitted to firing four to five shots.
Mays told authorities that the first shot was fired because he felt threatened, and Miller stated that he only shot back because someone was firing at him. Both cases can be considered self-defense due to the state’s “stand-your-ground” law.
“Self-defense or not, someone still died, and many were injured,” said an anonymous source. “This parade was a time for celebration, and for it to end in such tragedy is heartbreaking. I agree with the charges the men were charged with, and I feel for the families who are currently suffering the emotional and physical pain that their actions have caused.”
This is not the first gun violence-related incident that has occurred during celebratory events. After many incidents, this incident in particular has prompted many to believe that it is time to rethink championship celebrations, including Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.
“I don’t think we need to change the way we celebrate these things because that is not where the problem is coming from,” said Jackson Brennan, a sophomore mass communication major. “I think the issue stems from a problem with gun control, which remains somewhat out of our hands despite previous efforts.”
Despite the many gun violence-related incidents in the Kansas City area, the Saint Patrick’s Day parade will still be held as planned. The state is now taking this time to rethink what the stand-your-ground law really means and decide what really falls into the category of self-defense.
“I think Kansas should continue with their Saint Patrick’s Day parade, as it symbolizes unity and taking pride in cultural and religious traditions,” said Carley Perez, a junior business management major. “If Kansas cancels the parade, it promotes the idea that big gatherings, like the parade, are the root of the problem when, in reality, it is the people who are causing that harm and violent acts.”
The Chiefs have made a $200,000 donation to United Way, a charity organization that creates an emergency fund for violence prevention organizations, first responders and victims of violent acts, just like the parade. Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Chiefs, has also donated $50,000 to the fund.
A vigil was held at Skywalk Memorial Park in support of the shooting victims. The vigil was candlelit to promote unity and love for victims of the violence. Many members of the community were in attendance. Police cleaning up the event left chairs out that spelled “KC Strong,” which was a message of hope and strength for the members of the Kansas City community.
