The mother of the suspect who started the deadly shootout at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade last week, reportedly set up a (now deleted) GoFundMe to help him get through the “tragic time.”
Two adult black males were charged with murder Tuesday over the mass shooting that left one dead and 22 others injured, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said. Eleven of the victims were children and were sent to nearby Children’s Mercy Hospital.
Lyndell Mays, 23, of Raytown, and Dominic M. Miller, 18, of Kansas City, both face charges of second-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Although both face murder charges, Baker said Miller’s firearm was the one that fatally wounded Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old mother of two.
Mays allegedly first drew his handgun after getting into a verbal altercation with another person. Miller and others immediately pulled their firearms, leading to the shootout, Baker said.
A stolen Glock 9mm handgun was found on the ground near Mays, according to the charging documents.
JUST IN: The firearm that was used by Lyndell Mays who was charged in the Kansas City shooting was *stolen* according to court documents.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 21, 2024
Crickets from the gun control community.
Shortly after the shooting, President Biden made the most of the tragedy and called for an “assault… pic.twitter.com/X76DG7extu
The two adult shooters apparently did not know each other before that day.
Both defendants have been hospitalized and in custody since the shooting, the prosecutor said. They are being held on $1 million bond.
Two teenagers, whose identities are being protected, also face gun-related and resisting arrest charges and are in secure detention at the Juvenile Detention Center, according to Baker. Another adult was initially detained but let was let go after police determined he was not involved. The prosecutor said additional arrests are still possible.
Mays’ mother, Teneal Burnside, created a GoFundMe featuring a photo of the suspect who allegedly started the shootout lying in a hospital bed, allegedly recovering from nine bullet wounds.
“Getting shot multiple times at a time that was [meant] to bring so much joy to so many has [brought] pain and sadness to all that was attending,” the post said.
Family of Kansas City shooting suspect Lyndell Mays posts GoFundMe to get him through ‘tragic time’ https://t.co/Tnlx9Fl3n6 via @nypost
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) February 21, 2024
“He is in the ICU fighting for a recovery from several surgeries from going to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration with his older sister,” the now-deleted fundraiser said.
According to the New York Post, the fundraiser had “raised $100 for Mays’ medical bills before he was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.”
A female friend of Mays told police a rival group of individuals wanted to know why Mays was looking at them, court papers said.
He allegedly started yelling at the individuals, and can be seen on surveillance footage approaching them in an “aggressive” manner. Later, he can be seen pointing his finger at the group, the court docs said.
Mays admitted to police that he pulled his gun first and began shooting even though he was in a condensed area filled with families and children, according to court documents.
“Mays confirmed that he drew his gun first … and started shooting, all because they said, ‘I’m going to get you,’ and to him, that meant, ‘I’m going to kill you,’” the documents said.
“Mays stated the other individuals started shooting only after [he] shot first.”
When investigators asked why he “advanced with them to begin with,” Mays replied, “Stupid, man. Just pulled a gun out and started shooting. I shouldn’t have done that. Just being stupid,” according to the docs.
Miller was tackled and disarmed by a witness who saw him carrying a handgun, according to the statement. In a hospital interview, Miller, who suffered a gunshot wound, said he was armed with a Taurus G3 9mm handgun and returned fire when he saw someone shooting at him, CNN reported.
A .38-caliber class bullet was recovered during an autopsy of Lopez-Galvan, and a ballistic comparison of the bullet determined it was fired from the Taurus weapon, according to the statement.
The defendants face up to 15 years in prison for the unlawful use of a weapon charge, and a potential life sentence for the second-degree murder charge.