High school sophomore Gabe Wallace toldKansas City Star reporters that Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid hugged him and tried to comfort him during a shooting that killed one person and injured 21 others following the Chiefs' victory in the Super Bowl.
Wallace said he had become separated from his friends while seeking safety inside Union Station. He said he heard, “boom, boom, like real quick,” before a security guard directed him to jump over a fence to escape the shooter. When he did, “my face nailed the concrete.”
Panicking and unsure about the well-being of his friends, Wallace found solace when Reid approached him:
“Andy Reid was trying to comfort me, which was nice. … 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.”
“He left to check on other people, I’m pretty sure.”
You can hear what Wallace said in the video below.
Notably, other members of the Chiefs, including players Blaine Gabbert, Trey Smith, Austin Reiter, and Chris Oladukun, were reported to have provided support to frightened children in the aftermath of the shooting.
The news of Reid's kindness was commended and many sent their well-wishes to him and Wallace.
Others criticized the GOP for not supporting comprehensive gun reform.
Authorities said the shooting, which resulted in one fatality and nearly two dozen injuries, "appeared to have stemmed from an argument between several people."
Three individuals were detained in connection with the shooting, with two of them being younger than 18. As of now, no charges have been filed.
Stacey Graves, Kansas City's police chief, commended the swift response of her department's officers and firefighters, highlighting the courageous actions of civilians who aided one another, saying they "even physically stopped a person who was believed to be involved in the incident.”