KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The person fatally shot at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory celebration Wednesday has been identified as police held three people in custody and sought answers about the culprits and the motive behind the shooting.
The victim's family identified her as Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a popular figure in the city's Hispanic community and beyond.
At least 21 other people were injured, eight of them with "life-threatening" injuries, when shots were fired at about 2 p.m. CT, authorities said. At least 11 of the injured were ages 6 to 15, Children's Mercy Hospital said.
Police have detained three people, whom they have not publicly identified. The exact circumstances and motive behind the shootings remain unclear as a police investigation continues.
Paul Contreras, a Chiefs fan who was seen in video circulated on social media tackling a possible suspect in the shooting to the ground, told said Thursday on NBC's "TODAY" show that his actions were "just a reaction" as he saw someone running opposite the direction fans were talking.
Contreras said he did not get a good look at the man, who was facedown on the ground and was then arrested.
Contreras' daughter, Alyssa Marsh-Contreras, who was at the scene, said, "It’s crazy — we’ve had more shootings this year than we’ve had days," referring to mass shootings in the U.S.
Chiefs players, who were celebrating Sunday’s overtime win that made them back-to-back champions, responded with shock and disbelief at the incident.
Safety Justin Reid said on X: “This 🤬 is SAD man! Kids are being shot and somebody didn’t come home tonight. We cannot allow this to be normal.” Tight End Travis Kelce said he was “heartbroken,” while the team’s official X account said it was “truly saddened” by Wednesday’s events.”
Lopez-Galvan co-hosted a weekly radio show on local station KKFI 90.1 called "A Taste of Tejano," a celebration of Tejano, or "Tex-Mex," music, which has origins in Texas and Mexico. She also played local weddings and promoted charity fundraisers.
The Kansas City Star reported that she was a mother of two.
"It is with sincere sadness and an extremely heavy and broken heart that we let our community know that KKFI DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of Taste of Tejano lost her life today in the shooting at the KC Chiefs’ rally," the station said on Facebook.
"This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community," it added.
The "Taste of Tejano" Facebook page changed its profile picture to a single candle. She last hosted the show Tuesday night.
Lisa Lopez, a newsroom executive administration assistant who is no relation, told the Star: "She was the most wonderful, beautiful person. She was a local DJ. She did everybody’s weddings. We all know her. She was so full of life."
Manuel Abarca IV, a 1st District legislator in Jackson County, Missouri, paid tribute to her and pledged to do more to change gun laws.
"I will not let her death go in vein. I will legislate, I will fight and I WILL do everything in my power to change this State and City for the better," he said on X.
Vice President Kamala Harris echoed that sentiment before she boarded a flight to Munich, Germany, on Wednesday night, when she urged Congress to act on gun control.
"Today was supposed to be a day of celebration for a community of people to come together … and yet it’s another day where America experienced gun violence," she said. "It doesn’t have to be this way."
On her own Facebook page, Chiefs fan Lopez-Galvan showed how excited she was for the Super Bowl by posting pictures of red and yellow snacks and shirts.
In November, the Kansas City Hispanic News newspaper published a feature on Lopez-Galvan and her father, Beto Lopez, 79, a locally famous mariachi musician.
"My daughter Lisa enjoys music just as much as I do, except I play a trumpet with Mariachi groups and Lisa plays music at the KKFI community radio station," Lopez told the paper.
"She also DJs for different events throughout the metro, whether that be a private party or a fiesta. What we have is special, and it is all for the love of music."
Jesse Kirsch reported from Kansas City and Patrick Smith from London.