Teen at Chiefs Parade Shooting Reveals How Coach Andy Reid Comforted Him: ‘He Was Hugging Me’

Andy Reid was on hand to comfort fans after multiple people were shot during the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2024 Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday.

Teenager Gabe Wallace said the 65-year-old offered to help in the middle of the mass shooting, which left one person dead and 22 injured, according to Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves.

“Andy Reid was trying to comfort me, which was nice,” said an emotional Wallace Kansas City Star. “He kind of hugged me, just like, ‘You okay, man? Are you OK? Just breathe, please.’ He was very nice and all that.”

The teenager added that the head coach – who is known as “Big Red” – then “went to check on other people”.

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Wallace was attending the parade with his friend Hank Hunter when shots rang out near Union Station shortly after the Chiefs players left the stage, he told Kansas City Star. After being separated from Hunter, Wallace said Reid comforted him inside the station after a security guard directed him inside.

The shooting happened during the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday.

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“The guard said, ‘Go over the damn fence now. There’s a shooter,’ Wallace told the paper.

Meanwhile, NFL reporter Albert Breer said several Chiefs players also comforted the young fans and tried to calm them down.

The authorities announced on Wednesday that one person was killed in the incident, while 22 were injured.

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He wrote ua post on X (formerly known as Twitter), “Chiefs left the parade on buses and were shocked. I was told that the players were AMAZING at calming the panicked kids. Blaine Gabbert, Tre Smith, Austin Reiter, Chris Oladukun all came together.”

“Smith went to one upset kid, gave him the WWE title belt and sat with him until he calmed down,” he added.

As reported The Kansas City Starthe shooting victim was later identified as Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a mother of two who worked as a DJ.

Chiefs player Trey Smith.

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Lopez-Galvana’s employer, KKFI 90.1 FM, also confirmed that she was killed in the incident.

“It is with sincere sadness and an extremely heavy and broken heart that we inform our community that KKFI DJ Lisa Lopez, host Tejano flavor lost her life today in a shooting at a meeting of the heads of the KC”, their statement reads.

“Our hearts and prayers are with her family. We encourage anyone who thinks they saw something to contact police at 816 234 5111. This senseless act took a beautiful person from her family and this KC community,” it concluded.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Police Chief Graves said three people were taken into custody and are “being investigated for today’s incident.”

“We don’t have a motive right now,” she added.

Kansas City Fire Chief Ross Grundyson said the injured included “eight in immediate danger, seven in life-threatening and six with minor injuries.” The injured were transported to three different hospitals: Children’s Mercy, Truman Medical and St. Luke’s.

The shooting happened near Union Station.

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After the shooting, many Chiefs players sent prayers to the victims involved, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Drue Tranquil.

“Praying for Kansas City,” quarterback Mahomes, 28, wrote on X, while tight end Kelce, 34, added, “I’m heartbroken by the tragedy that happened today. My heart goes out to everyone who came to celebrate with us and was affected. KC, you mean the world to me.”

Donna Kelce, who rode in the parade with her son Travis, said Kansas City Star that the Chiefs were quickly ushered out of that area and back to Arrowhead Stadium. “Everybody that was with the team, they got us out of there really quickly,” she said.

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The Chiefs released a statement shortly after the shooting, confirming that “all of our players, coaches, staff and their families are safe and located.”

“We are truly saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred in front of Union Station at the end of today’s parade and rally. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and all of Kansas City,” the statement said.

Adding that the team is in “close communication” with the city’s mayor’s office and police department, the statement concluded: “We are grateful to local law enforcement and emergency responders who were on scene to assist.”

According to a PEOPLE reporter at the parade, loud pops echoed through the crowd as confetti fell as the players left the stage.

A woman who attended the parade with friends also told PEOPLE, “I saw two people bleeding on the ground and we ran away as fast as we could.”

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