KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two men are facing murder and other felony charges in connection to the mass shooting that occurred after a Kansas City Chiefs championship rally last week. According to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, Lyndell Mays of Raytown and Dominic M. Miller of Kansas City have been charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action. They are both being held on $1 million bond.
The incident took place after a verbal argument escalated, leading Mays to draw a handgun, followed by others pulling out their firearms, resulting in a shootout. The two did not know each other prior to the day of the shooting, as stated by Baker. Both defendants have been in custody and hospitalized since the shooting.
Despite both being charged with murder, it was Miller’s firearm that fatally wounded Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old mother of two and well-known local DJ and radio host. This tragic event marks the 48th mass shooting in the United States in 2024, as reported by the Gun Violence Archive.
Charging documents released by the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office provide further details about the incident, including alleged confessions from the two men charged with murder. Citing surveillance video of the shooting, a probable cause statement indicates that the shooting began with a confrontation between two groups.
Mays got into a verbal confrontation with a group of people in an aggressive and angry manner before allegedly pulling out a handgun and chasing and shooting at one of the individuals. Other individuals took out their firearms and appeared to start shooting at Mays, resulting in Mays being struck by gunfire. Miller, on the other hand, positioned himself in a crowd of people, pulled out a firearm, and appeared to begin shooting.
In separate hospital interviews two days after the shooting, both men provided their accounts of the incident, with Mays admitting to starting the shooting and expressing regret for his actions, while Miller stated that he returned fire after being shot at by someone else. The recovered firearms and ballistic comparisons tied the weapons to the shooting incident, leading to the second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon charges.
This tragic event has left the Kansas City community in mourning, with additional arrests still possible, as indicated by Baker. The charges come in the aftermath of a deadly shooting that left Lopez-Galvan dead and more than 20 others wounded, including a dozen children, outside of Union Station. This incident has unfortunately put a tragic end to what had initially been a day of celebration for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
As the community grapples with the aftermath of this senseless act of violence, the families of the victims released a statement expressing gratitude to the prosecutor’s office, police, and other law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation. While the news serves as a step towards justice, it does little to ease the pain caused by this devastating event.