A Harrisonville man who was shot at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade and rally last year has sued the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission, saying it was a "preventable mass shooting," and fans should have been protected.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, James Lemons, 40, says he was shot and his family endangered by the commission’s failure to bar firearms and provide a safe environment, which they had a “legal duty” to provide. That negligence, the suit said, exposed fans to an “unacceptable and foreseeable risk of harm.”
Dave Borchardt, a commission spokesman, said only that they are aware of the lawsuit, “disagree with its assertions” and that the commission’s insurance company is handling the case.
Twenty-four people were injured and Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a popular Tejano DJ, was killed during the shootings, which happened around 2 p.m. as the rally was coming to a close outside Union Station. The Jackson County Prosecutor accused three adults and three juveniles of the shootings.
The lawsuit alleges the commission had provided “stringent security measures” at a different past event at Union Station, which was redacted from the suit, and provided “comprehensive safety protocols.” That included barring weapons, erecting barriers around Union Station and making the more than 300,000 attendees use one of only three entrances, where they were screened, the suit said.
The commission also knew that Missouri has some of the loosest gun laws in the country and Kansas City recorded a record high number of homicides in 2023, the suit said.
“Despite the well-documented risks associated with large public gatherings and the heightened concerns surrounding gun violence in Kansas City, the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission failed to implement adequate security measures to protect the thousands of attendees who gathered in front of Union Station,” the suit said.
The lawsuit seeks financial damages for pain and suffering, mental anguish, medical expenses, court costs and punitive damages.
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