A Kansas City Chiefs fan died late Sunday night after the team won Super Bowl LIV. The man suffered a head injury while trying to set off fireworks in an improvised mortar when one of them exploded, police said. There were also 163 reports of gunfire throughout the night, into Monday morning.
Paramedics were called to a home on Richmond Drive at 9:17 p.m. CT due to a fireworks accident, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department said in a press release. The victim tried to light commercial-grade fireworks, but one of them exploded early.
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The victim, whose name was not released, suffered a “catastrophic head injury” and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Police reported there were only minor incidents throughout the night. There were 163 reports of celebratory gunfire between 5:30 p.m. CT Sunday and 1 a.m. CT Monday.
“Police will be following up on these incidents as celebratory gunfire is extremely dangerous and illegal,” the department said.
The Power and Light District attracted about 20,000 people during the game. There were 14 arrests and people were ejected form the area. The Kansas City Fie Department also responded to 24 medical incidents during the Power and Light District gathering.
Following the game, Kansas City Police posted a tweet that quickly went viral.
“It’s a Super Bowl victory, not the purge,” the department wrote.
The Chiefs’ victory parade was scheduled for Wednesday, beginning at 11:30 a.m. CT. It is the first time the city is hosting a championship parade since the Kansas City Royals won the World Series in 2015.
“The victory parade is an all-hands-on-deck event for KCPD,” reads a statement on the KCPD site. “Additionally, law enforcement agencies from around the metro area have dedicated some of their limited manpower (and womanpower!) to assist us that day. All of us at KCPD are very grateful for their assistance, and it shows what a truly cohesive metro area we have and how well we work together.”
“This is a regional event, and it will be handled with regional resources,” the statement continues. “There will be hundreds upon hundreds of officers along the parade route and at the celebration at Union Station afterward to ensure everyone has a great time while staying safe. This will not detract from officers working the rest of the city.”
The Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback pulled off by Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. The victory was the Chiefs’ first Super Bowl win since 1970 and coach Andy Reid’s first championship in 21 years as a head coach.
Photo credit: Tammy Ljungblad/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
