A U.S. Navy veteran who jumped into motion when gunfire erupted on the Kansas City Chiefs‘ parade Wednesday spoke to Fox Information Digital, recounting how he recognized and chased down a number of the shooters – hopping over obstacles and operating by the gang – till he shouted to different NFL followers there, who managed to deal with at the least one of many attackers.
Tony Janssens, a lifelong Chiefs fan who’s lived in Kansas Metropolis for the reason that finish of 2020, stated he had intensive coaching throughout his time within the army on lively taking pictures situations, together with what to do within the occasion of a shooter on the pier or shooters breaching a naval ship. The veteran, who left the Navy in 2016, stated intuition kicked in upon leaving the parade, strolling by an intersection with others within the crowd, when abruptly three to 4 photographs rang out. At first, some thought the sound was fireworks, however not Janssens.
“It didn’t sound like fireworks to me,” he instructed Fox Information Digital. “And then I heard another couple of rounds go off, and then that’s when I dropped to the ground again. I looked over to my right where the shots were coming from, and I see a guy lying on the ground with a couple of bullet holes at his side, and he’s already kind of lying down. I kind of understand the severity of the situation. So people are still deciding whether it’s fireworks or, you know, what’s going on. They’re starting to pull up their phones just trying to record stuff. I’m telling everyone, people just to get away. Like, this is real life. You need to get out of here. Like, don’t just sit here and try to record or anything. So I’m telling people to leave, leave, leave.”
Janssens, who attended the Chiefs parade final 12 months along with his girlfriend and a gaggle of associates, stated he went alone this 12 months. His girlfriend needed to work, and since he was off, he defined how he had determined to stroll from the place they dwell downtown to Union Station to benefit from the festivities. That call, he now hopes on reflection, helped stop additional bloodshed on the parade.
Tony Janssens pictured throughout his time served within the U.S. Navy. Janssens chased down taking pictures suspects on the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs parade. (Tony Janssens)
“I wasn’t expecting to try to go out and do anything heroic or anything like that and just kind of kicked on,” he stated.
“I really am Catholic,” he added, referring to how the parade came about on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.
“I felt like I had a guardian angel there with me. I was literally ten feet from it,” he stated. “And if I probably would have walked, you know, 10 seconds faster, had ten steps ahead, I probably wouldn’t be on this interview today. I just, I’m grateful to be here, you know? That’s the biggest thing I can get away from is just gratitude. . . . When I saw that everything starting to develop, that’s what kicked into my head … just not wanting anyone else to get hurt. I want them to see tomorrow, you know, that type of thing. And it’s something I really haven’t really fully comprehended and come down to, just the fact that I’m still here. I’m lucky to be here, but like I said, I’m just grateful and glad I could help the best I could.”
Authorities have stated three individuals, together with two juveniles, have been detained in reference to the taking pictures however no charges have been filed but.
Tony Janssens shared images of one of many Kansas Metropolis Chiefs parade suspects handcuffed on the sidewalk, with the shooter’s backpack on the bottom close by. (Tony Janssens/X)
Police stated the 22 individuals who had been wounded ranged between the ages of eight and 47 years previous, half of whom had been underneath the age of 16. A mom of two was additionally killed.
After the sounds of gunfire despatched the gang right into a panic, Janssens stated he took off operating, however he by chance ran into the three suspects.
One in all them, Janssens defined, had his jaw nearly utterly shot off. “He’s basically missing his jaw, and he’s freaking out. He doesn’t know what to do. And then his buddies are kind of scrambling. They’re all like, don’t know if they should keep running or help his buddy, since he’s bleeding now. I ran into him, so I kind of backed away for a second,” Janssens recalled. “I’m, like, back-pedaling. I’m looking at him, trying to understand what’s going on. I didn’t know if he was a victim, or I didn’t know if he was part of the shooting.”
Chiefs followers rejoice throughout their victory rally at Union Station in Kansas Metropolis, Mo., Wednesday, February 14, 2024. A taking pictures erupted on the finish of the parade. (AP Picture/Charlie Riedel)
“I kept my eye on him, and he had a backpack on him, the guy who had been shot, and I saw him hand over a bag to the other two individuals that he was with. And I see them kind of run – trying to take off and try to escape. And they’re running towards these two semi-trucks, and they get in between these two semi-trucks. It looks like there’s stuffing stuff in the backpack,” he stated, recalling that certainly one of them was sporting a Carhart jacket – one thing that did not sit proper with Janssens as a result of the climate was heat at about 65 levels.
Maintaining his eyes on them, Janssens noticed a state trooper, whom he tapped on the shoulder to level out the suspicious trio.
KANSAS CITY SHOOTING AT CHIEFS SUPER BOWL PARADE LEAVES AT LEAST 1 DEAD, 22 WOUNDED
“I run up, I tap him on the shoulder, I said, ‘Man, I think you need to follow me. I think these guys might be part of it. They just kind of look fishy,’” Janssens stated. “So as we’re walking up to him, I’m leading. I’m leading him to the guys. They notice that we’re walking up to him, and they start backpedaling a little bit. He looks like he’s kind of concealing something in his jacket. He’s turning away, and as he turns away, he just bolts past me and the state trooper. And just instinctively, he runs after him. I just start running after him.”
Regulation enforcement personnel examine following a taking pictures on the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs NFL soccer Tremendous Bowl celebration in Kansas Metropolis, Mo., Wednesday, February 14, 2024. Practically two dozen individuals had been wounded, and at the least one died. (AP Picture/Reed Hoffmann)
“The only reason I kind of really ran after him was just because I really kind of saw the whole thing develop. So I feel like I was one of the persons that could identify the man if he was trying to get away. I just didn’t want him to get away, and I just didn’t want to hurt anyone else,” the veteran said. “So I took off . . . and I’m jumping barricades, we’re running down the street, and I’m trying to clear people out the way. I’m yelling as I’m chasing after him, ‘Get this guy, get this guy.’ And then he jumps over one more barricade, and he realizes he can’t go any further the way he’s running. So he starts to run back towards me.”
Janssens stated it was captured on video how he is shouting for others to deal with the suspected shooter. And 4 males jumped in, tackled the suspect and pinned him down till police arrived.
“I’m still here and grateful that they weren’t able to do any harm or any other harm, and honestly grateful for the other guys that honestly stepped up when they didn’t have to,” he stated. “You can see me like running up, and I’m pointing, yelling out ‘Tackle this guy! Tackle this guy!’ And I’m jumping up and down. And luckily, these four other guys heard me. And, they turn around and said they could hear me yelling to tackle this guy. And I saw him, and luckily they just stepped up and helped tackle him. As they were tackling him, I think I saw another guy was running away as well. So I kept chasing that guy and then it was just a dead pursuit. So I hurried back and helped these guys try to sustain the situation until cops arrived.”
As soon as the scene calmed down, and the suspects had been in custody, Janssens stated he and about 10 or 15 different witnesses went to a delegated space to offer statements to legislation enforcement. That is when he observed a bag with an AR-style rifle and prolonged magazines, although he was unsure whether or not these had been used in the shooting.
Janssens stated he wouldn’t let the taking pictures deter him from with the ability to rejoice along with his workforce in the event that they win the Tremendous Bowl once more subsequent 12 months, however he did urge officers to undertake higher safety measures.
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“I’m more than confident that Kansas City will come together, you know, try to get past and work together with everyone, get answers and just try to, you know, mitigate these things from happening again. I would love to see the, you know, the Chiefs win back-to-back-to-back Super Bowls and be back in that same spot next year. And you know, tell everyone not to live in fear when we’re here. Now if they win it again next year, best believe I’m going to be in that Union Station parking lot if it’s there again.”
“Kansas City is a great city. You know, people support each other here. I love the city. And it was just a mistake that happened. You know, these things happen. We’re in 2024, you know, these are the things that you have to be more vigilant. Every day. You go to a grocery store, you go to a big venue, a large gathering. It’s just something from the military that I understand, but I think as civilians, you should understand, too, that you have to be looking out for these things nowadays.”
