KANSAS CITY, Missouri – A 10-year-old boy, Samuel Arellano, has recounted the terrifying ordeal he experienced during the mass shooting that occurred at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade on Wednesday afternoon. Samuel was one of the 23 people who were shot, and unfortunately, one person lost their life in the tragic event, identified as 43-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a beloved local radio DJ.
In a heart-wrenching interview with a local television station on Thursday, Samuel and his family described the harrowing experience. The young boy was separated from his mother and walking with his grandfather after the parade when the gunfire erupted. Recalling the moment, Samuel stated, “We’re walking, and then we see people fighting, and then they pull out a gun and start shooting.” He further explained, “One of them hit me while I tried to face toward my grandpa and my uncle and my cousin.”
The family didn’t initially realize that Samuel had been shot, as the chaotic scene caused people to scatter. Samuel sought refuge behind a trash can, remembering the active shooter training he had learned in school and attempting to hide. Eventually, he was trampled by others fleeing the scene.
After the shooting had ceased, Samuel’s mother, Aby, discovered the gunshot wound under his shirt, a traumatic moment for the family. They promptly called an ambulance, and Samuel was treated at Children’s Mercy hospital along with several other juvenile victims. The hospital expressed optimism that all the children would make a full recovery from their injuries.
Chief Stacey Graves of the Kansas City Police reported that more than half of the 22 surviving victims were under the age of 16. Additionally, two of the three suspects taken into custody after the shooting were juveniles. The community continues to grapple with the shocking tragedy, and no charges have been filed as of yet. Mayor Quinton Lucas expressed the city’s collective sorrow, stating, “This is absolutely a tragedy, the likes of which we could’ve never expected in Kansas City, the likes of which we will remember for some time.”