KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Missouri Democratic lawmaker is pushing legislation that seeks to ban people from carrying guns into parades after the deadly shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade.

The bill, filed by Rep. Anthony Ealy, a Grandview Democrat, would require individuals who attend parades hosted by the state or cities to go through checkpoints with metal detectors or scanners. Any person with a firearm, except for police, would be prohibited from entering the parade.

Individuals who knowingly carry a firearm, knife or other weapon into a parade zone during the event could face criminal charges for “unlawful use of weapons” under the bill.

The legislation comes after the Feb. 14 mass shooting at the Chiefs Super Bowl victory rally. The shooting killed one person, Lisa Lopez-Galvan, and left at least 22 others injured.

“The fact that they were able to even have guns in their backpacks on their persons around hundreds of thousands of people it is just crazy and there has to be an answer to that,” Ealy told a TV station shortly after the shooting. He did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Ealy’s bill is one of several Democratic bills that seek to curtail access to guns this upcoming legislative session. The flurry of bills comes at a crucial time for Kansas City as hundreds of thousands of international fans are expected to descend on the region when the city hosts World Cup matches in 2026.

While the Chiefs parade shooting provoked a sharp outcry for changes to Missouri’s gun laws, among the most lax in the nation, efforts to enact stricter firearm regulations have languished in the GOP-controlled General Assembly.

Rep. Jim Murphy, a St. Louis area Republican, said Ealy’s legislation was well-intentioned, but he didn’t think it would actually prevent gun violence in practice.

“You’re talking about a parade, I mean, they can sneak guns into schools, for God’s sake,” Murphy said. “If you’re determined to do harm and get a gun into a parade, I don’t know if there’s any physical barrier you could put up to prevent it.”

Gwen Grant, the president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, said she supported the intention behind Ealy’s bill and the goal to enhance public safety after the rally shooting.

However, she said it fell short of addressing the root of the problem: Missouri’s lax gun laws. She specifically pointed to the upcoming World Cup matches.

“As we prepare to host the World Cup in 2026, we must ask ourselves if we want Kansas City to be remembered as a place where fans from around the globe feel unsafe,” Grant said in an email. “This moment demands bold leadership to enact meaningful reforms that include universal background checks, responsible firearm storage laws, and restrictions on open and concealed carry in crowded public spaces.”

Parade zone safety measures, she said, were not enough.

Ealy’s bill defines parade hosts as state or local government entities. It would require those hosts to secure parade zones with checkpoints equipped with metal detectors or scanners to check for firearms.

Capt. Jake Becchina, a spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department, said the department typically does not comment on proposed legislation. He added that the department would make adjustments if the bill was signed into law.

“We are in favor of responsible gun ownership and maintain our urgency for the community to not settle arguments/disagreements with gunfire, whether (it’s) 2 people gathered together or 2 milllion,” Becchina said in an email.

Push for gun reform
Ealy’s bill is among numerous pieces of legislation that seek to enact firearm regulations this legislative session, which begins next month.

The bills include a ban on assault weapons, regulations barring those convicted of domestic violence from possessing guns and prohibitions on rapid fire devices for guns.

But the bills are almost certain to run into resistance from Republican lawmakers, who have consistently beat back efforts to curtail access to firearms, allowing Missouri to maintain some of the loosest laws surrounding guns.

Republicans have also filed bills to further expand firearm access this upcoming session, including legislation to allow guns on public transit and so-called “anti-red flag laws” that would prevent police officers from confiscating guns from people believed to be a danger to others or themselves.

When asked about the upcoming World Cup matches in Kansas City, Murphy said safety is always a concern. However, he said that can be achieved through enhanced security and not through legislation.

“That’s the job of the people holding the event to secure it and I think you’ll find that they’ll do a very good job doing just that,” he said.

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