Were the minors arrested in connection with the Kansas City parade shooting charged with shooting people? No, that's not true: As of February 21, 2024, neither of the two juveniles had been charged with shooting anyone. According to the court, they are being detained on "gun related and resisting arrest charges."
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X (formerly Twitter) by Tim Young on February 19, 2024. The post's caption said:
If you're a mass shooter at a Kansas City Chiefs parade, the media protects your identity because you're 'under 18.'
If you're a fan in face paint at a Kansas City Chiefs game, the media tries to ruin your life, calling you a racist at 9 years old.
This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:
(Source: X screenshot taken on Wed Feb 21 19:19:18 2024 UTC)
The post's wording links "mass shooter" with "under 18," implying that two juveniles arrested in the aftermath were themselves shooters. Neither of the juveniles has been charged with shooting anyone, and authorities have not categorized them as shooters.
The claim
Despite what the social media post says, it's not "the media that protects your identity;" it's state law that does that. In this case, it provides a layer of confidentiality for the juvenile court records of the minors involved.
Asked about the claim in a February 21, 2024, email, Sgt. Phil DiMartino, a spokesman for the Kansas City police, referred Lead Stories to the Jackson County Family Court Division of the 16th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri in Jackson County for information on the charges against the juveniles. He added:
We have seen many accounts and depictions of the events posted on social media. Some have even been shown by the social media platforms to be blatantly false, we encourage people to consume social media assertions regarding this with caution as people use these opportunities to spread inaccurate information and narratives.
As of a February 16, 2024, news release (archived here) from the Circuit Court of Jackson County, where Kansas City is located, the two minors involved in the case were not charged with shooting anyone. The release said:
Two juveniles were charged on Thursday, February 15, 2024, by the Office of the Juvenile Officer related to the incident at the Chiefs' rally on February 14, 2024.
The juveniles are currently detained in secure detention at the Juvenile Detention Center on gun related and resisting arrest charges.
It is anticipated that additional charges are expected in the future as the investigation by the Kansas City Police Department continues.
Pursuant to Missouri law, hearings are not open to the public as this alleged offense involves juveniles. This is the extent of the information that the Office of the Juvenile Officer can release at this time
Additionally, Valerie Hartman, public information officer for the 16th Judicial Circuit, responded to a February 21, 2024, email from Lead Stories with some clarification of how state law works. She said:
It is understandable that the general public would like more information regarding the events surrounding the Chiefs celebration. However, Missouri law, Section 211.321, RSMo, limits the information that can be provided when minors are involved.
As previously provided, two juveniles are currently being held in secure detention on gun related and resisting arrest charges. They were charged on February 15, 2024, the day after the Chiefs celebration.
The investigation by the Kansas City Police Department is on-going. The Office of the Juvenile Officer may file additional charges as information is presented.
On February 20, 2024, two men were charged in the shootings in downtown Kansas City. A press release (archived here) from the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office said:
Two Kansas City men face murder and other felony charges in connection with the homicide and non-fatal shootings outside Union Station last Wednesday following the parade and rally for the Kansas City Chiefs, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.
Dominic M Miller of Kansas City and Lyndell Mays of Raytown each face Murder in the 2nd Degree, two counts of Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.
According to court records, the defendants attended a Super Bowl parade and rally on Feb. 14, 2024, and were armed with firearms. A verbal altercation occurred and gunfire broke out with no regard for thousands of other individuals in the area.
Read more
Additional Lead Stories fact checks of claims about the Kansas City parade shooting can be found here.
