'I just went for it': Kansas City Chiefs fan tackles man he believed opened fire at parade

Trey Filter drove his wife and two sons to the Kansas City Chiefs parade to score a few “dad points."

Filter, his wife, and 12- and 15-year-old sons joined tens of thousands of fans at the parade to celebrate the Chiefs' Super Bowl victory in Kansas City in front of Union Station on Wednesday.

But hours later, the family time was abruptly halted when a shooting broke out at the victory celebration. Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old local Tejano DJ, was killed and more than 20 others were injured.

Filter, a 40-year-old lifelong Chiefs fan, was part of a group that helped tackle a person who may have fired into the crowd of fans.

"I just went for it," Filter said of the split second moment when he jumped into action.

As Filter and his family milled through the crowd before the chaos, he never imagined that a shooting could break out in the heavily policed area where more than 800 law enforcement officials were present.

"We all felt safe, as we could see a military presence with more than enough firepower on top of roofs," Filter told USA TODAY. "Everybody, I'm sure, noticed that and felt comfortable."

More:I can't stop thinking about Kansas City after the tragic Chiefs parade shooting

Filter says he jumped into action as commotion broke out

Just as Filter and his family started to leave for their home in Wichita, gunshots rang out. Filter's first thought was that someone had set off firecrackers. "At that time, we thought it was a jokester or something, because the shots were so rapid," he said.

But then, a commotion broke out, as though a rat was "loose in the crowd," Filter said. Looking to his left, Filter saw people frantically disperse.

“There was a frenzy,” Filter said. “People were freaking out.”

When he heard a woman shout someone had a gun, Filter quickly scanned the crowd, he told USA TODAY. He said he briefly made eye contact with a man he believed to be a possible shooter.

"I made a decision that that's the guy to tackle," he said. "I remembered, while tackling him, thinking to myself, I sure hope that's him."

Filter said he hit the man first and brought him to the ground before another bystander helped subdue him.

“I started hitting him in the ribs,” Filter said. Eventually, he got an arm around the man's neck. "He couldn't breathe, for all I know."

Filter didn't let up until police pulled him away by his feet. Meanwhile, Filter's wife had retrieved a weapon nearby, which he described as a "huge assault rifle." Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves declined to discuss what kind of weapons were used during a Thursday news conference.

Once police had the situation under control, Filter quickly gathered his family and headed home. “Let's get the hell out of here,” he told his wife. “We didn't know if there was more drama or what was going on.”

Police detained three people, including two juveniles, according to Graves. Kansas City Police Officer Alayna Gonzalez told USA TODAY on Thursday: "The individual observed being taken to the ground by Chiefs fans is in police custody for further investigation." Gonzalez said charges have not been filed as of Thursday.

Graves said the shooting appeared to have been triggered by a personal dispute and was not related to terrorism or extremism.

It wasn't until a half hour after the chaos that Filter realized what occurred. On the drive home, his phone started to blow up with calls from friends and reporters, he said. Filter was identified in several videos tackling a man who was possibly a suspect in the shooting.

"We're finding everything out as we go," Filter said. "It's just a lot to take in."

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at [email protected]. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.