Andy Reid Calls for ‘Togetherness’ in Message to Kansas City’s Youth After Deadly Parade Shooting: ‘You’re Our Future’

Speaking with reporters for the first time since a deadly mass shooting took place at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2024 Super Bowl parade, Andy Reid made a plea to the city’s youth.

“You’re our future,” the Chiefs head coach, 65, told reporters at a press conference Tuesday, per the Associated Press. “And as great as we can make this place, we want to do that. We can turn this, which was a negative, into a real positive. With just a little togetherness and love, we can fix a lot of problems.”

The Feb. 14 shooting left one woman dead and wounded 22 others. More than half of the victims were under the age of 16, according to local authorities.

Police later arrested and charged Dominic M. Miller, who is 18 or 19 years old, and Lyndell Mays, who is 23 years old, with second-degree murder. Meanwhile, two juveniles who were allegedly involved in the shooting were also arrested and charged with “gun-related” offenses.

On the day of the shooting, Reid was among those offering immediate comfort to children at the scene. “Andy Reid was trying to comfort me, which was nice,” a teenager recalled to The Kansas City Star. “He was kind of hugging me, just like, ‘Are you OK, man? Are you OK? Just please breathe.’ He was being real nice and everything.” 

The teen added that the head coach — who is known as “Big Red” — then “left to check on other people.” 

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Days later, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, visited the local Children’s Mercy Hospital to meet two young sisters who were shot at the parade. “In a time where they are traumatized, saddened, and worried, having a surprise appearance from Patrick and Brittany Mahomes brought the first smile to their faces since tragedy struck,” the family said in a statement to PEOPLE.

“Even though they will be wearing casts for several months they are excited to show loved ones that Patrick signed their cast,” they continued.

Reid’s comments during Tuesday’s press conference at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis “marked the first time anyone from the [Chiefs] organization spoke publicly” since the shooting, the AP reported. The outlet noted that the “team had previously issued a written statement.”

During the conference, Reid also shared his condolences for Lisa Lopez-Galvan, the 43-year-old mother of two who was killed in the shooting. “I want to share my condolences for the Galvan and Lopez family for their loss of Lisa, and for the people of Kansas City,” Reid told reporters, asking them to hold football-related questions until after he spoke about the deadly shooting.

He added, “She was a personality there, and a very good human being, first of all. We’ll all miss her, as I know her family will.”