Month: February 2024

Kansas City Police said that at least one person was killed and at 22 others were injured in a shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, after a rally on Wednesday celebrating the Chiefs Super Bowl victory. Police Chief Stacey Graves said at least 22 people have gunshot wounds, eight of whom had immediately life-threatening injuries and were transported to hospitals within 10 minutes. Seven others had life-threatening injuries, and six had minor injuries. Interim Kansas City fire chief Ross Grundyson added nine of the victims of the shooting were children, but said he does not yet have the ages of all of the victims.

Gunfire rang out as soon as the confetti began falling as the players left the stage, according to witnesses at the parade.Video on social media showed dozens of officers converging to the right side of the stage and running inside Union Station with their weapons drawn. Local News Press-NOW sports director Jacob Mikeil shared video of authorities rushing into the train station next to the stage.

The Kansas City Police Department said in a statement on social media that three suspects were detained after the shooting near a garage west of Union Station The department did not identify the suspects, and according to a preliminary investigation the shooting appears to be criminal in nature and not terrorism. Police Chief Stacey Graves added firearms were recovered: “We have recovered firearms. I don’t have a number for you or a caliber. We have recovered firearms.” 

Lisa Lopez-Galvan was killed in Wednesday’s shooting near the Kansas City Chiefs victory celebration, according to a statement from her sister, Carmen Lopez Murguia. Kansas City radio station KKFI 90.1 on Facebook identified Lopez-Galvan as one of its DJs: “It is with sincere sadness and an extremely heavy and broken heart that we let our community know that KKFI DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of Taste of Tejano lost her life today in the shooting at the KC Chiefs’ rally. Our hearts and prayers are with her family.”

The Kansas City Chiefs organization posted a statement on social media, saying they were saddened by the shooting, calling it a “senseless act of violence” and said that their “hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all of Kansas City.” The team said players, coaches and staff are all safe and that they are in communication with local officials.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce posted on X: “I am heartbroken over the tragedy that took place today. My heart is with all who came out to celebrate with us and have been affected. KC, you mean the world to me.” Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill asked people to join him in prayer for the victims over “this heinous act…Pray that doctors & first responders would have steady hands & that all would experience full healing.”  Quarterback Patrick Mahomes said on the X,“Praying for Kansas City”, and guard Trey Smith said on X: “My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by today’s incidents—a huge thank you to the first responders who ran towards the sound of danger. You’re the ones who should be celebrated today.”

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Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander, who turns 41 next week, said on Wednesday that he is behind schedule this spring because of a shoulder issue, with his status for Opening Day currently unclear.

MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart was among the reporters to whom Verlander himself revealed the news during a press conference, with the future Hall of Famer saying: “I’m a little bit behind schedule now. I had a little hiccup early on that’s resolved itself, but I have to be really cautious at how I’m building up. I guess my body doesn’t respond the same at 40 as it did at 25. I’m a couple of weeks behind.”

Verlander, acquired from the Mets leading up to last year’s trade deadline, is coming off a 2023 season for the Mets and Astros in which he pitched to a 3.22 ERA and a 3.20 K/BB ratio in 162 1/3 innings. Verlander’s first start of 2023 was delayed by more than a month because of an upper back/shoulder issue.

The three-time Cy Young winner is under contract for 2024 at a salary of $43.3 million, $25 million of which will be paid by the Mets. Verlander’s deal also includes a $35 million option for 2025 that vests automatically if he reaches 140 innings pitched this season. The Mets will also pay a substantial portion of that 2025 contract should the option vest.

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The Kansas City Chiefs announced they have signed their defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, to a contract extension. The organization did not release any details on length or compensation.

Spagnuolo took the Chiefs to the second-best scoring defense in the regular season in 2023, allowing an average of 17.3 points per game. During the postseason, they held four of the six highest-scoring teams in the league during the regular season to an average of less than 16 points per game. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on Tuesday: “Very grateful for the job that Spags did with the defensive side. I thought that they were a great example to everybody of taking young guys, teaching them and watching them grow.”

Spagnuolo, 64, has been with the Chiefs for five seasons, the longest he has been at a coaching position since he was with Connecticut in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Spags spent his career moving to the New York Giants in the late 2000s, resulting in their Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots. He was an assistant for Reid for eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before heading out on his own coaching journey that included three years as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams from 2009 to 2011. He then spent time with the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, and returned to the Giants before the Chiefs hired him in 2019.

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According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the and veteran forward Thaddeus Young are finalizing an agreement for Young to join the Suns for the remainder of the season. Young, 35, had been traded from the Toronto Raptors to Brooklyn at the deadline as part of the Dennis Schroder/Spencer Dinwiddie deal, then the Nets waived him, making Young a free agent.

The Raptors initially acquired Young in 2021 in a trade deadline deal with the San Antonio Spurs in which Toronto sent a first-round pick and Goran Dragic to San Antonio for Young and an early second-round pick. Young’s signing would bring the Suns up to the league-required 14-man roster (the team’s trade that brought in Royce O’Neale and David Roddy at the deadline left them below that threshold).

Young played a limited role this season for the Raptors with only 23 games, averaging 5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 62.1% from the floor.

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According to multiple reports from sports outlets including ESPN, the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract with free agent outfielder Jorge Soler. The 31-year-old, two-time World Series champion signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Marlins before the 2022 season, but later declined the third-year option of that pact.

Soler, who will turn 32 at the end of February, spent the last two seasons with the Miami Marlins and is heading into his 11th year in the majors. He hit 36 home runs with the Marlins in 2023, the second-highest total of his career, on a .250/.341/.512 batting line. Soler hit .243 with 170 home runs over his first 10 seasons in the majors.

Soler won his first World Series title in 2016 with the Cubs, later leading the American League with a career-high 48 home runs during the 2019 season, which he spent with the Royals. He earned World Series MVP honors in 2021 with the Atlanta Braves. He also played for the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals.

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