9:05 a.m. ET, February 15, 2024
Chiefs player recounts helping calm scared kids after Super Bowl rally shooting
Trey Smith stands on the sidelines prior to a Kansas City Chiefs game in October 2023.
Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
Smith said he found shelter in a closet and guided others to safety.
“Right before I run in there, there’s like a little kid in front of me, so I just grabbed him — just yanked him — (and) was telling him, ‘You’re hopping in here with me, buddy,’ so I don’t know how many people that were in the closet. Maybe 20-plus?”
Smith said Kansas City Chiefs long snapper James Winchester was also “very instrumental in helping keep people calm.”
After authorities cleared them to leave the closet, they walked to the team buses, which quickly filled with the frightened bystanders.
Smith, who had been carrying a World Wrestling Entertainment championship belt as a prop through the Super Bowl parade, noticed a small boy who he said was panicked.
“I just handed him the belt,” Smith said, telling the boy, “‘Hey, buddy, you’re the champion. No one’s gonna hurt you. No one’s gonna hurt you, man. We got your back.'”
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
