A joyous event that should have been filled with celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs took a scary turn when someone opened fire on parade goers. The shooting led to one dead and at least 22 injured, including at least nine children.
Many Chiefs players quickly took to social media to share their thoughts and prayers with their city and with those who were harmed.
But guard Trey Smith took it a step further, appearing on Good Morning America today, after he was in the thick of the shooting, running for his life and helping those around him.
“Right before I got in there, there was a little kid in front of me, so I just grabbed him and yanked him in there with me and was like, ‘You’re hopping in here with me buddy.'”
He details that one of his teammates was also in a closet filled with people hiding for safety, was very instrumental in helping keep people calm throughout the situation.
Once they got the greenlight he lead the little boy he grabbed with him to the Chiefs’ buses, taking people to further safety. As the little boy was hysterical after the traumatic event, Smith gave him the belt he was sporting during the parade and telling him some calming words.
“I just handed him the belt and told him, ‘Hey buddy, you’re the champion. No one’s going to hurt you. Nobody’s going to hurt you. We’ve got your back.’ We started talking about wrestling…little things like that trying to take his mind off of it.”
Smith being an everyday hero in this moment, does not want his kindness toward the young boy to be focal point of the story though. He, like many others, are in shock that such joyous day took such a turn.
“I’m pretty angry. Due to senseless violence, someone lost their life today…
At the end of the day, Kansas City is a great city. We’re gonna stand up together and we’re gonna be strong.”
Our thoughts continue to go out to those who were affected by yesterday’s tragic events.
