KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Two men charged with murder in last week's shooting after the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade were strangers who pulled out guns and began firing within seconds of starting an argument, according to court documents released Tuesday.
Missouri prosecutors said at a news conference that Lyndell Mays of Raytown, Mo., and Dominic Miller of Kansas City, Mo., have been charged with second-degree murder and several weapons counts in the shooting that left one person dead and roughly two dozen others injured.
Both men were shot during the melee, according to probable cause affidavits. Both have been hospitalized since, Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said during a news conference.
The argument began when two groups of people grew agitated over the belief that people in the other group were staring at them, according to affidavits from police. Surveillance video shows Mays and someone with him aggressively approached the other group, police say.
Court documents say a group of four males approached Mays and asked what he was looking at. "They began arguing about why they were staring at each other," one of the probable cause statements said. One of the males had a backpack with a firearm in it. Mays is alleged to have backed up, continued to yell and then pulled out a handgun.
The video showed Mays was the first to begin shooting despite being surrounded by crowds of people, including children, according to one of the affidavits.
Mays told detectives "he hesitated shooting because he knew there were kids there," according to the affidavit. He told investigators he began firing after someone in the other group said, "I'm going to get you," which he took to mean they would try to kill him. He said he chose a random person from the other group to shoot at as that person was running away, the affidavit says.
Miller initially told investigators that he and his friends began running after hearing gunfire and that he was shot in the back, one affidavit says. When investigators told Miller they had video of him chasing someone in Mays' group and shooting, Miller admitted to firing four to five shots, the affidavit said.
A bullet from Miller's gun killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan, officials said Tuesday. Lopez-Galvan was in a nearby crowd of people watching the Chiefs rally, according to one of the affidavits.
Online court records did not list attorneys who could comment on the men's behalf. The Missouri State Public Defender's Office said applications for public defenders for the men had not yet been received by the Kansas City office.
Messages left with a possible relative of Miller were not immediately returned. The Associated Press could not find phone numbers for members of Mays' family.
Authorities did not release ages for either man, but court records show Mays is in his early 20s and Miller is 18 or 19.
Authorities also detained two juveniles last week on gun-related and resisting arrest charges. They said Tuesday that more charges were still possible.
The Office of the Juvenile Officer acts as a prosecutor for criminal cases brought against minors with the proceedings held in family court.
Depending on the seriousness of criminal charges, juvenile defendants may face a mandatory certification hearing to determine whether they are tried as adults. Such offenses requiring a mandatory certification include first-degree assault and murder.
The Jackson County prosecutor also has charged 36-year-old Jose Castillo with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.
A witness told police he heard gunshots and then saw two males fighting. One of them dropped a handgun on the ground during the fight, according to court documents. Castillo is alleged to have picked up the firearm and walked away, the witness told officers. The witness then pointed out Castillo to officers.
When officers confronted Castillo and ordered him to the ground, Castillo is alleged to have removed a black Glock 22 handgun and thrown it on the ground, according to court documents. Because of a felony conviction in 2016, Castillo is not allowed to possess a firearm.
"I do want you to understand: We seek to hold every shooter accountable for their actions on that day. Every single one," Peters Baker said. "So while we're not there yet on every single individual, we're going to get there."
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said Tuesday the Police Department continues to investigate the case "at full velocity."
"Teams of detectives are working nonstop to ensure that anyone else responsible for the shooting is apprehended and that they receive the maximum punishment allowed by law," Graves said.
PARTY, THEN PANIC
The shooting on Feb. 14 outside the city's historic Union Station was a tragic end to the happy occasion that brought an estimated 1 million people to the city. It happened even as 800 police officers patrolled the celebration. The people injured range in age from 8 to 47, according to police.
The woman who was killed, Lopez-Galvan, was mother of two and the host of a local radio program called "Taste of Tejano."
Baker went on to read a statement from Lopez-Galvan's family that said: "On behalf of the Lopez-Galvan family, we are grateful to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office led by Jean Peters Baker and her amazing team of highly experienced and dedicated prosecutors.
"We also want to thank the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and all other law enforcement departments involved in this investigation. The effort and dedicated hours spent to expeditiously investigate this senseless act of violence is extremely commendable. It is reassuring for our family and the entire community to know that this joint team effort has resulted in the identification of the suspects involved.
"Though it does not bring back our beloved Lisa, it is comforting to know that the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office and the KCPD made it a top priority to seek justice for Lisa, the other shooting victims, those who had to witness this tragedy unfold and the Kansas City community."
The shooting was the latest at a sports celebration in the U.S. A shooting wounded several people last year in Denver after the Nuggets' NBA championship.
That led Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas to wonder whether it's time to rethink championship celebrations, even as he promised last week that the city will continue to celebrate its victories. Next month's St. Patrick's Day parade will go on as scheduled, Lucas said.
Lucas commended the work of police and prosecutors in bringing criminal charges. He said "lawlessness and criminality will never be tolerated in Kansas City."
"We recognize that for the people of Kansas City to feel safe, for us to deter criminal activity and to ensure valid and appropriate punishment, consequences must be swift, certain and severe," Lucas said.
The Kansas City shooting occurred in a state with few gun regulations and a city that has struggled with gun violence. In 2020, Kansas City was among nine cities chosen by the U.S. Justice Department in an effort to crack down on violent crime. In 2023, the city matched its record with 182 homicides, most of which involved guns.
On Monday, Missouri's Republican-led House passed a ban on celebratory gunfire in cities following debate that ranged from tearful to angry. It now goes to the Missouri Senate for consideration.
GOP Gov. Mike Parson vetoed a sweeping crime-related bill last year that included a similar measure, citing issues with other provisions.
Peters Baker asked for help from people who were at the rally and might be able to provide more information, including those who were wounded in the stampede that occurred as people tried to flee once the gunfire started.
Saying they were aware of all of the individuals who had been shot, Baker added that they wanted to hear from those who had other injuries.
"These too are victims in this case, so that's why we would like to hear from you," Baker said.
Before opening the news conference up to questions, Peters Baker said she would not be able to answer questions about the case and other people's responsibility level.
"The most important thing I want you to hear is that we are not done yet," Peters Baker said.
Information for this article was contributed by Nick Ingram, Margery A. Beck, Summer Ballentine and Jennifer Farrar of The Associated Press and by Glenn E. Rice, Robert A. Cronkleton, Bill Lukitsch and Katie Moore of The Kansas City Star (TNS).
FILE - Law enforcement personnel clear the area around Union Station following a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Missouri prosecutors said Tuesday, Feb. 20, that two men have been charged with murder in last week's shooting that killed one person and injured multiple others after the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)
FILE - A person views a memorial dedicated to the victims of last week's mass shooting in front of Union Station, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. Missouri prosecutors said Tuesday, Feb. 20, that two men have been charged with murder in last week's shooting that killed one person and injured multiple others after the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
FILE - People attend a candlelight vigil for victims of a shooting at a Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory rally, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. Missouri prosecutors said Tuesday, Feb. 20, that two men have been charged with murder in last week's shooting that killed one person and injured multiple others after the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)