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American Military News
2 days ago
- American Military News
Kansas City Super Bowl rally that ended in deadly shooting lacked necessary security, lawsuit says
Attorneys for three women who were caught in the flurry of gunfire at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade and rally in February 2024 have filed a lawsuit against the city and a handful of other defendants, saying the event lacked security protocols that could have prevented the incident. The shooting near Union Station — which killed one woman and injured dozens of attendees, including Erika Reyes, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and her two children — was a 'preventable calamity, borne of systemic failures and negligence from the top down,' according to the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court. The three women, Reyes, Esmeralda Ortiz and Kathleen Martinez, were near the gunfire and had close relationships with shooting victims, according to the lawsuit. Reyes, her two children and one of Martinez's children were struck by gunfire, attorneys wrote. 'While the terror of February 14 was perpetrated by young men with pistols and short-barreled rifles, responsibility for the shooting does not lie solely with them,' said Patrick Stueve, an attorney for the women, in a statement. 'This tragedy was also the result of negligence at multiple levels. We are pursuing this action not only to advocate for the victims of this tragedy, but to hold all parties accountable and to ensure safer celebrations for our community moving forward.' While police officers were spread throughout the parade route and rally areas, the rally had no security measures — checkpoints, metal detectors or barriers, the lawsuit said. Those security measures are necessary at mass gathering events and would have stopped the tragedy, attorneys wrote. Officials have said a dispute between two groups erupted into gunfire that sent attendees at the rally scrambling for cover. Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old Johnson County mother and local DJ, was fatally shot. Many others were injured by gunfire, and others suffered broken bones, brain injuries and dislocated joints, as they fled the area. 'This case is especially important now, given both the likelihood of another Celebration Rally, as well as the certainty of another mass gathering event at the Liberty Memorial, when the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place,' the lawsuit said. The lawsuit requests damages as well as a court order requiring organizers to implement security standards like checkpoints, barriers, scanners and to work with third-party security consultants for future events. After the 2024 violence, local leaders considered changes to a potential celebration event if the Chiefs had won Super Bowl LIX and whether to forgo another mass rally. Earlier this year as the Chiefs began their postseason run, Mayor Quinton Lucas told The Kansas City Star that one option would have included a ticketed rally followed by a parade. The rally would have included security checkpoints like those fans go through at sporting events. In a statement provided to the Star on Tuesday, Kansas City spokeswoman Sherae Honeycutt said, 'The City of Kansas City recognizes the widespread impact the Super Bowl rally shooting had on our community. The City condemns the criminal actions that brought violence to what should have been a celebratory event. While the City has not yet been served with the petition, we will review it carefully once received and respond in accordance with the law.' Prosecutors filed criminal charges against Dominic Miller, Lyndell Mays, Terry Young and three youths following the shooting, and the lawsuit also names the three men and three unnamed individuals as defendants, saying they fired into the crowd with 'malicious intent.' Also charged were Fedo Manning, Ronnel Williams Jr. and Chaelyn Groves, in connection with guns that were used in the shooting, and those three men are also named as defendants in the civil lawsuit. Charges alleged the men were involved in illegal straw purchases and trafficking of firearms, not that they were among the shooters. Also named are Union Station, the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission, O'Neill Events & Marketing and Flyover Event Co. LLC, which the lawsuit said were involved in organizing the event. Frontier Justice LS, LLC, The Ammo Box and R.K. Shows Mo. Inc., which the lawsuit states were connected to the sales of guns used in the shooting, were also named. Frontier Justice allegedly sold 23 firearms between May and October 2022 to Manning and should have known that Manning was involved in gun trafficking, the lawsuit said. The Ammo Box allegedly ignored 'clear signs' that Williams was purchasing a firearm for someone else, the lawsuit states. Groves allegedly gave Williams the funds to buy the firearm at an R.K. Gun Shows event in November 2023 when he was 19 and not legally allowed to purchase a pistol. The gun was later found outside Union Station following the rally shooting. No hearings have been set in the lawsuit. Other defendants in the case were not immediately available for comment Tuesday. ___ © 2025 The Kansas City Star. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
KC Super Bowl rally that ended in deadly shooting lacked necessary security, lawsuit says
Attorneys for three women who were caught in the flurry of gunfire at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade and rally in February 2024 have filed a lawsuit against the city and a handful of other defendants, saying the event lacked security protocols that could have prevented the incident. The shooting near Union Station — which killed one woman and injured dozens of attendees, including Erika Reyes, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and her two children — was a 'preventable calamity, borne of systemic failures and negligence from the top down,' according to the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court. The three women, Reyes, Esmeralda Ortiz and Kathleen Martinez, were near the gunfire and had close relationships with shooting victims, according to the lawsuit. Reyes, her two children and one of Martinez's children were struck by gunfire, attorneys wrote. 'While the terror of February 14 was perpetrated by young men with pistols and short-barreled rifles, responsibility for the shooting does not lie solely with them,' said Patrick Stueve, an attorney for the women, in a statement. 'This tragedy was also the result of negligence at multiple levels. We are pursuing this action not only to advocate for the victims of this tragedy, but to hold all parties accountable and to ensure safer celebrations for our community moving forward.' While police officers were spread throughout the parade route and rally areas, the rally had no security measures — checkpoints, metal detectors or barriers, the lawsuit said. Those security measures are necessary at mass gathering events and would have stopped the tragedy, attorneys wrote. Officials have said a dispute between two groups erupted into gunfire that sent attendees at the rally scrambling for cover. Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old Johnson County mother and local DJ, was fatally shot. Many others were injured by gunfire, and others suffered broken bones, brain injuries and dislocated joints, as they fled the area. 'This case is especially important now, given both the likelihood of another Celebration Rally, as well as the certainty of another mass gathering event at the Liberty Memorial, when the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place,' the lawsuit said. The lawsuit requests damages as well as a court order requiring organizers to implement security standards like checkpoints, barriers, scanners and to work with third-party security consultants for future events. After the 2024 violence, local leaders considered changes to a potential celebration event if the Chiefs had won Super Bowl LIX and whether to forgo another mass rally. Earlier this year as the Chiefs began their postseason run, Mayor Quinton Lucas told The Star that one option would have included a ticketed rally followed by a parade. The rally would have included security checkpoints like those fans go through at sporting events. In a statement provided to The Star Tuesday, Kansas City spokeswoman Sherae Honeycutt said, 'The City of Kansas City recognizes the widespread impact the Super Bowl rally shooting had on our community. The City condemns the criminal actions that brought violence to what should have been a celebratory event. While the City has not yet been served with the petition, we will review it carefully once received and respond in accordance with the law.' Prosecutors filed criminal charges against Dominic Miller, Lyndell Mays, Terry Young and three youths following the shooting, and the lawsuit also names the three men and three unnamed individuals as defendants, saying they fired into the crowd with 'malicious intent.' Also charged were Fedo Manning, Ronnel Williams Jr. and Chaelyn Groves, in connection with guns that were used in the shooting, and those three men are also named as defendants in the civil lawsuit. Charges alleged the men were involved in illegal straw purchases and trafficking of firearms, not that they were among the shooters. Also named are Union Station, the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission, O'Neill Events & Marketing and Flyover Event Co. LLC, which the lawsuit said were involved in organizing the event. Frontier Justice LS, LLC, The Ammo Box and R.K. Shows Mo. Inc., which the lawsuit states were connected to the sales of guns used in the shooting, were also named. Frontier Justice allegedly sold 23 firearms between May and October 2022 to Manning and should have known that Manning was involved in gun trafficking, the lawsuit said. The Ammo Box allegedly ignored 'clear signs' that Williams was purchasing a firearm for someone else, the lawsuit states. Groves allegedly gave Williams the funds to buy the firearm at an R.K. Gun Shows event in November 2023 when he was 19 and not legally allowed to purchase a pistol. The gun was later found outside Union Station following the rally shooting. No hearings have been set in the lawsuit. Other defendants in the case were not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Family sues Kansas City, KC Sports Commission & several others for 2024 Chiefs parade shooting
Editor's note: A 'straw purchaser' is someone who buys a firearm for someone who is prohibited by law from possessing one, or for someone who does not want their name associated with it. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Several people are suing the individuals and companies connected with the 2024 Chiefs parade shooting that killed one person and injured 22 others, including 11 children. Erika Reyes is suing on behalf of herself and her two children. All three of them were shot during the parade celebration on Feb. 14, 2024, according to a lawsuit filed in Jackson County on Monday. Kathleen Martinez is suing on behalf of herself and her children, one of which was shot during the parade. Esmeralda Ortiz is suing on behalf of herself and her child. Neither of them were shot during the parade, but the lawsuit alleges that the two suffered severe emotional distress and anxiety after watching their family get shot. Attorneys told FOX4 that the plaintiffs in this lawsuit are family. Two of them are cousins and two are related by marriage, according to attorneys. The three women are suing the city itself, as well as the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission and Union Station. They are suing the following individuals: Dominic Miller Lyndell Mays Terry Young John Doe 1 John Doe 2 John Doe 3 Fedo Antonia Manning Ronnel Dewayne Williams Jr. Chaelyn Hendrick Groves They are also suing the following entities and businesses: Union Station Kansas City, Inc. City of Kansas City The Greater Kansas City Sports Commission O'Neill Events & Marketing Flyover Event Co. LLC Frontier Justice LS, LLC The Ammo Box L.L.C. R.K. Shows Mo Inc. The lawsuit argues that 'the defendants each caused or contributed to cause the injuries' sustained by Reyes, Ortiz, Martinez and their children. According to the lawsuit, the deadly shooting was the 'direct and proximate result of the negligence, carelessness, violations and failures' of the city and Union Station – as well as the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission, O'Neill Events & Marketing and Flyover Event Co. 'Responsibility for the shooting and injuries does not solely lie with the perpetrators of the shooting—systemic failures and negligence at multiple levels contributed to this tragedy,' the lawsuit states. 'It was a preventable calamity, borne of systemic failures and negligence from the top down.' The lawsuit argues that the parade's 'inadequate security measures left hundreds of thousands of invitees vulnerable.' According to the lawsuit, the parade was 'completely devoid of physical security measures, such as checkpoints and metal detectors, which are necessary at mass gathering events.' The lawsuit says the parade celebration was held on property owned by Union Station and the city, and the shooting took place in part on property owned by Union Station. Since this was not the first time that gun violence occurred at Union Station, the lawsuit argues that Union Station and the city 'knew or should have known the consequences of inadequate security measures, including the injury and death of their invitees.' However, both failed to adequately plan the security and implement physical security measures, such as checkpoints, barriers and security equipment (magnetometers, X-Ray machines), according to the lawsuit. From May 2022 to January 2022, the lawsuit says Manning purchased 40 firearms – more than half of which were bought from Frontier Justice. 'Manning frequented Frontier Justice because he knew it to be an easy place to purchase firearms where no one would question his purchases,' the lawsuit states. The lawsuit says Manning entered into a plea agreement, admitting that he was buying firearms as a 'straw purchaser' – which Frontier Justice should have known given the repetitive nature of Manning's purchases. Frontier Justice and Ammo Box – two gun sellers – are both accused of negligently selling firearms to Manning and Williams, respectively. By selling them the firearms, the lawsuit argues that Frontier Justice and Ammo Box 'acted with complete indifference or with reckless disregard for the rights of others.' The lawsuit says Ammo Box employees had an obligation to use their judgment and refuse to sell Williams a firearm. It argues that Ammo Box should have known Williams was a straw purchaser for Groves. The lawsuit argues that Frontier Justice and Ammo Box, along with R.K. Shows Mo Inc. – which according to its own website is one of the largest gun and knife show promoters in the U.S. – 'facilitate violence for profit.' 'They use sales and marketing practices to create and feed a consumer base of young, impulsive men to line their pockets,' the lawsuit states. 'Gun sellers play a pivotal role in safeguarding our communities by ensuring that the deadly weapons they sell do not end up in the wrong hands,' the lawsuit argues. Frontier Justice and Ammo Box 'abandoned this role and their community,' the lawsuit says. According to the lawsuit, the gun sellers turned a blind eye and enabled criminals to easily obtain deadly weapons – leading to the tragedy on Feb. 14, 2024. The lawsuit also accuses Frontier Justice and Ammo Box of lax sales practices while arguing that R.K. Shows is guilty of lax supervision at its gun shows – selling tickets to 'kids' as low as $6 at its event on Nov. 25, 2023 at the KCI Expo Center. 'Gun shows are particularly problematic when it comes to straw purchases,' the lawsuit argues. 'According to the ATF, 30 percent of guns involved in federal illegal gun trafficking investigations are connected in some way to gun shows.' The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) provides broad immunity to gun sellers. However, attorneys told FOX4 that gun sellers do not have immunity for negligent entrustment – which is what Frontier Justice and Ammo Box are being sued for. Many of the victims injured in the shooting were collateral damage of the two groups who opened fire on one another during the crowded parade celebration. Miller, Mays, Young and John Doe 1, 2 and 3 are accused of 'escalating a dispute that they knew or should have known to be likely to turn violent.' The lawsuit also accuses them of negligence, as well as 'failing to properly aim or control their weapons when returning fire' – which resulted in several parade attendees being hit by gunfire. FOX4 has reached out to most of the defendants in this lawsuit – except for Manning, Williams, Groves and John Doe 1, 2 and 3. The city provided the following statement: 'The City of Kansas City recognizes the widespread impact the Super Bowl rally shooting had on our community. The City condemns the criminal actions that brought violence to what should have been a celebratory event. While the City has not yet been served with the petition, we will review it carefully once received and respond in accordance with the law.' The Kansas City Sports Commission refused to comment, and we have not received any other responses at this time. Reyes, Martinez and Ortiz are demanding a jury trial to determine the amount of damages they are owed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
