On Cutest’s 25th floor balcony that overlooks the WW 1 Memorial’s north lawn, we had gathered. With friends and family, we watched the hundreds of thousands who had come to honor the Kansas City Chiefs for winning their third Super Bowl, the second in a row.
However, in an instant, that bright blue sky hovering over an unusually warm February day turned to darkness. Bullets from an oversized magazine zipped from two weapons, striking 23 bystanders, one mortally.
Almost immediately, the hearts of the people of this fair city came alive. Two courageous young men tackled one of the suspected offenders, holding him on the ground until police arrived.
Other next-door-neighbor-like folks provided comfort and aid to those needing assistance. By nightfall, a Go Fund Me page provided a way for others to help.
The following day the Kansas City Parks department set up tents in Washington Park, just a block east of the station. Here those who had fled in panic could return and hopefully retrieve items that had been left behind. Shoes, strollers, tents and blankets were among the items.
By Friday, a make-shift memorial of flowers and homemade signs began to emerge at the base of the pedestal clock that sits in the station’s south parking lot. Inside the station’s entrance a professional memorial to the young woman who had died, Lisa Lopez-Galvan, was in place. As the week progressed, more tributes and fund raisers were being set in to motion.
Kansas City has had its share of floods, fires, tornadoes and even the infamous St. Valentine’s Day massacre 102 years ago. But now, Kansas City will dig deep, lean on its fellow citizens and patch this tear in its soul. Remember, Kansas City has heart!
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