Navy veteran Tony Janssens found himself thrust into a harrowing ordeal at the Kansas City Chiefs parade mass shooting on Wednesday, where his military training became a crucial asset as chaos erupted.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Janssens recounted the terrifying moment when gunfire shattered the celebratory atmosphere. Amidst the confusion, he swiftly recognized the severity of the situation and urged bystanders to flee rather than record the unfolding drama on their phones.
"It didn’t sound like fireworks to me," Janssens recalled. "And then I heard another couple of rounds go off, and then that’s when I dropped to the ground again."
"Like, this is real life. You need to get out of here. Like, don’t just sit here and try to record or anything," he told the outlet. "So I’m telling people to, ‘Leave! Leave! Leave!"
As he made his escape, Janssens encountered the suspects, one of whom bore a horrifying facial injury, reminiscent of a warzone scene.
"He’s basically missing his jaw, and he’s freaking out," Janssens said.
Despite the chaos, his military instincts kicked in, prompting him to keep a watchful eye on the wounded suspect, adding: "I didn’t know if he was a victim, or I didn’t know if he was part of the shooting."
Observing the suspects' suspicious behavior, Janssens took swift action, alerting law enforcement and joining the pursuit to apprehend them. With the help of fellow civilians, he successfully tackled one of the suspects, ultimately aiding in bringing the situation under control.
"I’m jumping barricades, we’re running down the street, and I’m trying to clear people out the way," he said, detailing how the suspects attempted to flee. "I’m yelling as I’m chasing after him, ‘Get this guy! Get this guy!’"
After shouting for assistance, four other members of the public came to help. "They turn around and said they could hear me yelling to tackle this guy," Janssens said. "And I saw him, and luckily they just stepped up and helped tackle him."
“As they were tackling him, I think I saw another guy was running away as well. So I kept chasing that guy and then it was just a dead pursuit. So I hurried back and helped these guys try to sustain the situation until cops arrived,” he added.
Reflecting on the traumatic event, Janssens emphasized the need for enhanced security measures in the future, particularly if similar celebrations were to occur.
His bravery and quick thinking during the crisis exemplified the resilience and unity of the Kansas City community in the face of tragedy."I’m more than confident that Kansas City will come together, you know, try to get past and work together with everyone," the veteran said, offering words of hope to the city.
The shooting, which left one person dead - 43-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan - and nearly two dozen injured, was later revealed to stem from a personal dispute that escalated into violence.
"We have subjects that are detained," Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves stated, per the New York Post. "We are working to determine the involvement of others, and it should be noted we have recovered several firearms... This incident is still a very active investigation."
Graves emphasized that the Wednesday afternoon attack near Union Station in the city had no links to homegrown terrorism or violent extremism. "It appeared to be a dispute between several people that ended in gunfire," she stated during a press conference on Thursday.
Three individuals have been detained in connection with the incident.
Our thoughts continue to go out to everybody impacted by this tragedy.
