Two men were charged with murder on Tuesday in connection with a shooting in Kansas City in the US, that killed one person and wounded 22 near a Super Bowl victory rally, prosecutors said on Tuesday.
The two suspects, identified as Dominic Miller of Kansas City and Lyndell Mays of nearby Raytown, each face charges of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful use of a weapon, according to a statement from the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
The two latest defendants, both described by prosecutors as adults, are in addition to two teenagers charged last Friday as juveniles with firearms violations and resisting arrest in connection with the shooting, according to a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office.
“According to court records, the defendants attended a Super Bowl parade and rally on February 14th, 2024, and were armed with firearms,” the statement said. It added: “A verbal altercation occurred and gunfire broke out with no regard for thousands of other individuals in the area.”
At a brief news conference announcing the charges, Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said the investigation showed the violence began when Mays became involved in a verbal argument with another person, who was a stranger to him.
Mr Baker told reporters their quarrel “very quickly escalated,” with Mays pulling out a pistol, followed by others in the vicinity “almost immediately” drawing their weapons.
While both Mr Mays and Mr Miller are charged with murder, Baker said the evidence shows it was gunfire from Miller’s weapon that struck and killed Elizabeth Lopez-Galvan (43), an on-air radio personality.
Twenty-two other people, including at least nine children, were wounded by gunfire, authorities said.
The shooting unfolded following a parade and rally near the city’s landmark Union Station, where many thousands of fans had gathered as the Kansas City Chiefs were celebrating their Super Bowl triumph over the San Francisco 49ers. – Reuters