After the intensely close win in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs were sent back to Kansas City, Missouri for their victory parade. Football fans gathered for a celebration and could have never suspected the outcome of the so-called joyous day. Following a verbal dispute, a mass shooting unfolded, killing one person and injuring 22. Dominic Miller and Lyndell Mays, the men responsible, each face charges of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
After the events, players began making sizable donations to the victims and their families, including Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Through his 87 & Running foundation, Kelce donated $100,000 to two young girls from the Reyes family via GoFundMe. The two girls both suffered gunshot wounds to their legs. Kelce’s donation came after one from his pop star girlfriend, Taylor Swift, who donated to the family of the woman that was killed.
This is the devastating reality of living in America, and a change is long overdue. This was supposed to be a celebrated occasion and instead became a traumatic event. In my opinion, the donation of Travis Kelce was a step in the right direction. He was not obligated to donate anything, but he did. Yes, the donation came from his foundation and not him directly, but again, he didn’t have to donate at all.
Travis Kelce tweeted an emotional message to his fans. “I am heartbroken over the tragedy that took place today,” he wrote. “My heart is with all who came out to celebrate with us and have been affected. KC, you mean the world to me.”
The Reyes family shared that after undergoing surgery, both girls will be in casts for several months. They released a statement to NBC News that read, “Our family, along with the other families impacted by this senseless act, are still healing physically and emotionally.”
On Feb. 16, the Chiefs took to X — formerly known as Twitter — to launch an organization, KC Strong, which is “an emergency response fund supporting victims and their families, violence prevention and mental health services, and first responders.”
Will this magically end gun violence? No, definitely not, but this was a great response to the tragedy that occurred.
chollywo@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of James Weargerly, Flickr
