At least 15 people were shot and two people died in Kansas City on Sunday at a nightclub just hours after the Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl, according to reports and authorities.
The Kansas City Police Department said the shooting took place outside the 9ine Ultra Lounge before midnight, USA Today reported. Police found the bodies of a man and a woman, and five others were treated at hospitals, police said.
“We believe the shooter is the deceased adult male,” a police statement said. “The circumstances that lead to this shooting are unknown.”
Kansas City police Capt. David Jackson told CNN that an armed guard confronted a suspect in the parking lot.
“Detectives and crime scene investigators will be collecting evidence and talking with witnesses to gather evidence and more information to see what lead to this shooting,” Jackson said. He said that 15 people were also injured, adding that three are in critical condition.
At least one local official noted that the shooting took place after the Chiefs defeated the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship game, allowing them to advance and take a spot in the Super Bowl.
“It just put such a tragic end to such a wonderful day in Kansas City,” Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said, referring to the Chiefs’ win. “It’s just hard to stand here and talk about this kind of tragedy on really one of the best days Kansas City has had in a long time,” Baker said, reported The Associated Press.
According to a Facebook post on the 9ine Ultra Lounge’s page, the bar was hosting what appeared to be an event celebrating the team’s win. “Sections are sold out,” the post read before suggesting to arrive early. It included a photo of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
A report from KCTV5 noted that the 9ine Ultra Lounge is owned by former Chiefs player Alphonso Hodge. The bar was opened last year.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas offered condolences on social media.
“My thoughts are with the families and friends of those whose lives were lost or impacted by last night’s mass shooting.” Lucas wrote on Twitter Monday. “Thankful security appears to have kept the situation from being even worse.”
The shooting in Kansas City occurred as two other mass shootings rocked communities in San Antonio, Texas, and Honolulu, Hawaii.
In Texas, two people were killed and five were injured after someone opened fire inside a bar, police said. Two officers were shot in Honolulu after responding to the assault call, officials said.
