Kansas City Super Bowl Parade Shooting Leaves Travis Kelce "Heartbroken" | Vanity Fair

Written by Kase Wickman

Tragedy marred the celebratory mood following the Kansas City Chiefs' back-to-back Super Bowl victory as gunfire erupted in the midst of the victory parade on Wednesday. The shocking incident resulted in at least one fatality and left numerous people wounded, including nine children. Authorities have reportedly taken three individuals into custody and are conducting further investigations.

Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, expressed his sorrow on the social media platform X (previously Twitter) that evening over the horrific incident.

“Today's tragedy has left me shattered,” he said. “My sympathies go out to those affected by this incident. KC, I cherish you greatly.”

Kelce's reputation has been on the rise this season, not just due to his football prowess, but also his association with global superstar Taylor Swift.

Swift, who was present at Sunday's Super Bowl at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, had already left for Australia to continue her worldwide Eras Tour and was not present for the victory parade in Kansas City. Reports suggest that city officials had previously requested Swift to consider not attending the parade due to security concerns.

Prior to the parade, a statement from KCPD advised participants to be prepared for the possibility of cell phones not working. They also recommended parents to take their children's pictures and use permanent markers to write their contact details on their children's arms.

All Chiefs members and staff had been safely evacuated from the scene. Stories of players shifting from celebrations to comforting their fans have begun to surface.

Offensive lineman Trey Smith shared a touching anecdote about assisting a frightened child during the madness while speaking to Good Morning America.

The Chiefs issued a statement expressing their sadness over the meaningless act of violence that happened at the end of the day's parade and rally outside Union Station.

Brittany Mahomes, wife of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, shared her feelings about the incident via her Instagram Story on Wednesday: “Gun violence is never the solution,” she lamented. “Praying for Kansas City & America in general, this is rough.”

Defensive end Charles Omenihu shared his sympathies on social media, and explicitly called for changes in gun laws.

His teammate Justin Reid also pleaded for action from lawmakers via a heartfelt message.

The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence describes Missouri's gun laws as 'alarmingly weak', and notes that the state has one of the highest gun death rates in the country.

The Kansas City Police Department told Vanity Fair that no criminal charges have been issued in the shooting yet, and that the names of those arrested would only be released with criminal charges.

Representatives for Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift did not immediately respond to requests for comment.