Kansas City Chiefs parade shooter 'sprayed bullets into crowd by spinning in a circle' before fleeing, says witness
- Eyewitness Jacob Gooch Jr said a woman pleaded with one of the parade gunmen 'don't do it' before they opened fire
- At least 21 people were shot in the tragedy, as Gooch said he heard the shooter spun in circles to hit as many people as possible
An eyewitness to the horror Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade shooting claimed a woman pleaded with a gunman 'don't do it' seconds before he spun in circles to pepper as many people with bullets as possible.
Jacob Gooch Jr, who was shot in the chaos alongside his wife and son, told CBS Mornings that he heard a young woman tell the shooter, 'not here, this is stupid.'
'My wife and daughter saw the gun come out and start shooting,' he said. 'My daughter said some lady was holding him back... then he pulled (the gun) out and started shooting and spinning in a circle.'
The shots rang out seconds after Chiefs stars left their Super Bowl celebration parade stage, sparking chaos as thousands of fans fled for their lives.
The total number of people shot rose to 30 on Thursday morning, as several more people were treated for minor injuries while at least eight victims remain in critical condition.
Nine children aged between six and 15 were shot in the chaos, and a beloved Kansas City radio disc jockey was killed.
Shooting victim Jacob Gooch Jr (pictured) said his wife and daughter, who were also shot, heard a woman pleading with a gunman not to start firing, seconds before the shooter span in circles to hit as many people as possible
Heroic Kansas City Chiefs fans tackled a suspected shooter to the ground amid the chaos
Gooch said he didn't personally see the gunman, but was a short distance away as he recalled initially thinking the gunshots were fireworks.
He said he was shot in the ankle, his wife was shot through the calf muscle, and his son sustained a bullet wound to his foot, but his family were thankfully okay besides the wounds and had returned home from the hospital.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said over 800 law enforcement officers were stationed around the parade, and Gooch said he and his family's safety barely crossed their minds as they headed for the family event.
'(It was) just a bunch of happy people,' he said - before adding that he ominously grew fearful around 15 minutes before the shooting began.
'I got suspicious of a certain group of people that were there,' he said.
'We were standing on the side of the stage where the shooting ended up happening, and right before it ended up happening, there was this group dressed in all black.
'It was about four, five, six kids, or they looked like kids, with black on, black masks, and they disappeared into the crowd.'
He said panic and chaos ensued as soon as the show ended, but his view of the bloodshed was obscured as the huge crowd frantically scrambled for safety.
Lisa Lopez-Galvan, pictured here with her husband, was the one person to lose her life on the day of the shooting, and passed away during surgery at a hospital for a gunshot wound to her abdomen
It comes as tributes have poured in for the one person who lost their life in the shooting, beloved Kansas City radio DJ and mother of two Lisa Lopez-Galvan.
She passed away during emergency surgery in hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Local Democrat Manny Abarca who was a friend of Lopez-Galvan's spoke about her impact in an interview with TalkTV's Jeremy Kyle and Rosie Wright on Talk Today.
'It’s a tragic situation. I was there with my six year old daughter, Camilla and we went from catching confetti to hiding in a bathroom, not knowing what our fate may be. Unfortunately, this is the state of large events like this in America.
'We have to look out for those with weapons that are readily accessible, and accessible particularly in states like Missouri.'
While dozens of Kansas City Chiefs fans lay in the hospital, star tight end Travis Kelce sparked backlash as he carried on partying into the night.
As he stepped out for a meal with his teammates in Kansas City, Kelce appeared in good spirits while taking a smiling selfie with a police officer.
The move was seen as ill-timed by some fans, with one saying: 'Not a good look IMO for him a few hours after a person was killed and others wounded.'
Travis Kelce sparked backlash as he carried on his Super Bowl victory party at a Kansas City restaurant last night following the shooting
The tight end looked in good spirits just hours after the Chiefs' Superbowl parade descended into tragedy
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas gave a 6am press conference Thursday to assure residents three suspects were in custody - but declined to identify the gunmen
Kelce enjoyed his night out hours before Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas gave an update on the investigation, saying he is considering blocking any Superbowl victory parades next year if the Chiefs win again following Wednesday's horror mass shooting.
The mayor, 39, said three suspects remain under questioning over the tragedy, but declined to identify the gunmen who shot 21 people and killed one at Wednesday's Superbowl parade.
Lucas offered scant new details on the tragedy early Thursday morning, and apologized for 'failing to keep everybody safe' at the family event at a 6am press conference Thursday.
'I'm sorry that this happened yesterday,' he said.
'We worked hard to put on an exceptional parade, we spent millions on it, but we failed to keep everybody safe and that's something I have great guilt over.'
He added in an interview with CBS that a motive for the massacre remains a mystery, and condemned the ease of access to firearms in Missouri as 'this is not the way I want to live.'
Lucas did not offer specifics on the type of gun used, but said it appeared to be 'some sort of rapid-fire firearm.'
