The hero Kansas City Chiefs fan, who played a key role in stopping one of the suspected shooters during the team's Super Bowl Parade on Wednesday, swiftly tackled the gunman to the ground without hesitation, while his brave wife seized control of the firearm. The man has been identified as Trey Filter.
Gunshots rang out shortly after Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes left the stage near Union Station, where thousands had gathered for the celebration. Filter heard someone yell "Get him!" just moments before he saw a flash of a man clad in white, navigating through a frightened crowd of celebrants who were taking cover amid the sound of gunshots.
Quick Presence of Mind
Three people are currently in custody in connection to the incident that caused panic among the crowds on Wednesday, following the Chiefs' celebratory event for their victory, including the young man who was tackled as he tried to flee the scene.
The exact cause of the shooting remains unclear. Police said on Wednesday night that it was not a 'targeted' incident but have not clarified why the shooter was carrying a rifle.
None of the suspects involved have been identified. Videos from the scene show dramatic moments, with crowds fleeing and courageous fans pursuing and tackling one of the gunmen to the ground.
Casey Filter, who was at the parade with her husband Trey, was captured on video moving a rifle away from the suspect, while others, including Omaha resident Paul Contreras, helped in holding him down.
"My brain tells me, 'That must be him,'" Filter told The New York Post hours after the shooting that left one dead and 22 others injured.
"I literally remember when I was tackling him, 'I sure hope this is who they were yelling at me to get.' Because I just went, 'boom!' ... I really don't recall seeing him coming."
In a video that has now gone viral, Filter is seen jumping onto the fleeing man, dragging him to the ground to prevent him from escaping into the confused and terrified crowd.
Although the suspected gunman managed to wriggle free momentarily, he was immediately tackled again by a second Chiefs fan, engaging in a desperate struggle on the ground.
Filter re-entered the situation, delivering blows to the alleged gunman's ribs, while his wife, Casey, made a lunge for the gun that the fleeing man had dropped during the altercation.
Gunmen Used Assault Rifles
Filter believes that the weapon involved was an AK-47 assault rifle, but the police haven't confirmed the make of the firearm. "I don't know if I knocked him out when I tackled him or what, but I had him squeezed so hard he might have been passed out all the time for all I know. I just started racking him in his ribs," Filter recalled.
The second Chiefs fan, identified by Filter as a complete stranger, administered multiple blows to the alleged gunman's face, a detail that Filter mentioned he did not have the opportunity to witness.
In an interview with Chris Cuomo on NewsNation, Casey told the outlet, "I think we just did fight or flight, and we just did what we felt we needed to do in that moment. I don't think we could have just walked away being right there like that."
"On our way home, we were realizing how close we were to being involved in the initial shooting. Of course, we couldn't have gotten much closer to the gun there. It's just really a lot to process and be grateful for," Trey said.
Filter, after receiving a round of applause, promptly stood up, searched for his two sons, and straightforwardly said, "Get your mother, we're getting the f–k out of here."
The family, who had taken a day off from school and work to celebrate their favorite team, remained unaware of the gravity of the situation until after they started their three-hour journey back to their home in Wichita.
At least one person, identified as mother-of-two Lisa Lopez-Galvan, was killed in the shooting, and 22 others were injured, including nine children.
Filter, his wife Casey, and their two sons, aged 12 and 15, were leaving the celebration when the gunfire broke out. Initially, the father thought someone had set off firecrackers. When one of his boys asked if it could have been gunshots, the asphalt company owner replied, "I highly doubt it."
"The reason I say that is because there was a military presence on top of the building above us with a 50-caliber machine gun. Obviously, they were capable of using it. Everybody felt pretty safe, I would say," Filter said.
"Then it's almost like a mouse is loose in the house and everybody's jumping."
Police have not revealed a motive for the shooting.
