Feb 14, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) addresses the crowd on stage with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVIII. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Super Bowl LVIII-Kansas City Chiefs Celebration
KANSAS CITY — A Chiefs offensive lineman is giving his perspective on the shooting tragedy at his teams Super Bowl parade on Wednesday. Trey Smith opened up on “Good Morning America” on Thursday.
“This is senseless violence. Someone lost their life today,” he said. “You have children who are injured. You have children who are traumatized.”
Smith, 24, explained during the interview that he and his teammates were not aware there was an active shooter until they were making their way off the stage at Union Station.
“I just remember the security guards ushering us through the doors quickly, saying, ‘Come on, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up,’” Smith said. “They said, ‘This is not a joke. It’s a life and death situation.’”
When shots rang out Smith helped bystanders — including children — who were caught in the crossfire, and rush to evacuate.
“Right before I run in there, there’s a little kid in front of me so I just grabbed him and yanked him up and said, ‘You’re hopping in here with me, buddy,’” the 24-year-old explained. “I don’t know how many people were in the closet, maybe 20-plus.”
Smith made use of a prop to help distract the boy and put him at ease. He’d been holding a WWE wrestling championship belt throughout the parade.
“This little boy was with his father. He was a little hysterical. He just panicked. He was scared. He doesn’t know what’s going on,” Smith said. “I had the WWE belt (with me) and I was thinking, what can I do to help him out? I just handed him the belt and said, ‘Hey buddy, you’re the champion. No one is gonna hurt you. No one’s gonna hurt you, man. We got your back.’”
He also credited long snapper James Winchester for being “very instrumental” in helping others around them remain as calm as possible.
Nine children were injured in the shooting and Chiefs fan Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a mother of two, died during surgery after suffering a gunshot wound in the abdomen, according to the Kansas City Star.
Three people have been detained and firearms were recovered, but it’s not clear what prompted the incident or if there was more than one active shooter.
