Many people said they thought they heard fireworks, but I knew right away that wasn’t what was happening.
Bullets have a very distinct sound.
After hearing the gunfire, I immediately went to protect those around me — family or otherwise. While wearing my camera bag to capture what should have been a day of celebration for my hometown, I huddled over my sister, her friend and a few smaller children from nearby families.
We were just 10 feet away from the shooter at the Kansas City Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl parade celebration.
After everyone realized what was happening, a stampede of fans ran from Union Station looking for safety. The screaming was far different from anything I’ve ever heard.
I didn’t expect this to happen.
Our car was parked in the Union Station parking garage where one of the suspects fled. Once overjoyed, the crowd was now pushing and shoving to get out of harm’s way.
My sister and our close family friend were too shocked to move, and I felt my fight-or-flight response takeover. I told them to grab on to my backpack, and we began making our way to escape.
Seeing policemen rushing into the garage trying to capture the suspect felt so unreal. My heart rate was through the roof, but I tried not to walk too quickly so my group could keep up.
It took hours after we got home for my heart rate to slow down.
We stayed in our car for almost three hours waiting for more information and for traffic to clear out. It was truly horrifying seeing everyone around me scramble with fear and panic, not knowing what was happening.
As news of what happened spread, Kansas City was shocked with disbelief. How could such senseless violence occur on a day meant to celebrate our team’s historic win?
Families, who had come to enjoy the parade, were now desperately searching for their loved ones, unsure if they were safe.
Our day had turned into a national tragedy, leaving people across the country horrified and heartbroken.
But in the face of such darkness, the true spirit of our community shone through. People came together to support one another and begin to heal.
I am still trying to comprehend everything and only hope that we can implement better gun control laws.
