Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas Rips Guns For Parade Shooting

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Supply: Kyle Rivas / Getty

The mayor of Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, condemned weapons in no unsure phrases within the wake of a lethal mass taking pictures in the course of the Tremendous Bowl-winning, NFL champion Chiefs’ parade on Wednesday.

Mayor Quinton Lucas appeared equally incredulous in addition to resigned to the truth that such gun violence may occur regardless of a heavy police presence on the parade celebrating the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ second consecutive Tremendous Bowl victory and third in 5 years.

The taking pictures left at the very least one particular person useless and almost two dozen others injured, together with youngsters, based on the newest studies. Native radio DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a married mom of two, was recognized as the one who died from the gun violence.

The lethal episode broke out whereas greater than 800 law enforcement officials had been assigned to safe the parade. When Lucas, 39, was requested how the taking pictures may occur on their watch, the mayor issued a blunt rebuke on weapons.

Kansas Metropolis Mayor Quinton Lucas celebrates in the course of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ Tremendous Bowl LVIII victory parade on February 14, 2024, in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri. | Supply: AMY KONTRAS / Getty

“I imply, that’s — that’s what occurs with weapons,” Lucas responded. “We had over 800 officers there staffed, located throughout Union Station as we speak. We had safety in any variety of locations. Eyes on prime of buildings and past. And there’s nonetheless a danger to folks.”

Lucas issued a broad problem to cease such gun violence.

“And I believe that’s one thing that each one of us who’re dad and mom, who’re simply common folks dwelling every day, must determine what we want to do about it,” he added.

Lucas stated the taking pictures may have occurred even when there have been extra “tremendously arduous”-working law enforcement officials patrolling the realm.

“However in a way of seconds, somebody who needs to disrupt something, somebody who needs to create any sort of state of affairs or somebody who’s very merely reckless can change not only one life or two lives however virtually two dozen,” Lucas continued. “And that to me is totally devastating, and it makes me really feel vastly extra involved as a father or mother simply on the earth as we speak interested by that.”

Though the law enforcement officials Lucas talked about had been working “tremendously arduous” in the course of the parade and ran towards the gunfire, as he stated they did, it took members of the general public to apprehend at the very least one of many three suspects in custody. Video footage confirmed paradegoers deal with an alleged suspect and maintain him down earlier than police lastly arrived on the scene.

The folks in custody weren’t instantly publicly recognized.

Lucas beforehand made nationwide headlines for different nationwide scourges apart from gun violence.

He went viral in 2020 by drawing consideration to the subject of voter suppression when he stated he was prevented from casting a poll for himself throughout his reelection marketing campaign.

Just a few months later, Lucas positioned a vibrant highlight on the issue of anti-Black racism in his metropolis over a sequence of pandemic mandates for the general public.

He revealed a sequence of racist textual content messages he acquired after issuing an order for everyone inside metropolis limits to put on a masks or face masking whereas out in public. Lucas, who’s Black, tweeted screenshots of the correspondence from an obvious constituent who not solely referred to as the mayor the N-word but additionally stated he “ought to swing from a tree.”

That is America.