KC gun violence ‘hurts all of us,’ shop owner along Chiefs parade route says

A shooting at the end of the Chiefs’ victory rally at Union Station brought a rolling celebration of citywide pride to an abrupt stop, said Kinley Strickland, taking fans and business owners from an all-time high to a low with which many are all-too familiar.

Kinley Strickland, KC Daiquiri Shop; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“It’s just tragic that someone would take an opportunity where the masses are gathered to celebrate something amazing for the city, and turn it into a senseless act of violence and disregard for human life,” said Strickland, co-owner of KC Daiquiri Shop.

With as many as 1 million fans expected in the downtown-to-midtown area Wednesday to cheer on the Chiefs, KC Daiquiri Shop planned to keep the post-Super Bowl hype going from its Grand Boulevard storefront that opens onto the parade route.

The idea was to extend Mardi Gras an extra day with an after party at the popular New Orleans-inspired shop, said Strickland.

But celebration shifted to heartbreak and panic as news of the shooting spread and parade-goers dispersed from the area, shaken by the incident that left one woman dead and nearly two dozen wounded.

“This is more about the victims and the pain that those families are feeling. As a city, we all feel the brunt of that, it hurts all of us,” Strickland said.

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Two teenagers were charged Friday in the shooting.

A Chiefs parade bus drives past fans gather outside the T-Mobile Center in the Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland News

Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old mother of two from Shawnee and a DJ for KKFI radio in Midtown, was killed Wednesday at the end of the Chiefs victory rally at Union Station, following an otherwise rowdy, but non-violent parade that passed down Grand in front of Strickland’s shop, as well as the T-Mobile Center and other downtown landmarks. Lopez-Galvan was a frequent visitor of KC Daiquiri Shop’s former Overland Park location, which closed in October 2023. 

“It’s even more tragic to hear that that’s someone that we’d actually served, But, anytime there’s loss of life, that hits hard,” said Strickland, who encouraged Kansas Citians to keep the focus on the shooting’s victims and extend love to them.

“That someone’s family member, someone’s friend, someone’s co-worker, and then you also have all the other people that were injured, and now their lives are completely changed from now on,” said Strickland, noting there could be lasting traumas from Wednesday’s shooting, similar to PTSD. 

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Business owners across the city should expect and understand that many customers likely will react to the high-profile, deadly incident by stepping back, pausing some of their discretionary spending — like eating at restaurants and going to nightspots with a lot of people — instead pouring their energy into family and loved ones, Strickland said.

“We’ve seen this before. There was a tragic mass shooting here in Kansas City in a different club, and that affected our business for months after that. So this is potentially going to be the same thing,” he said.

RELATED: Shop Local KC leader says she won’t live in fear after parade shooting marks third encounter with gun violence

KC Daiquiri Shop; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Chiefs fans fill KC Daiquiri Shop in downtown Kansas City, shortly before the victory parade passed by; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Strickland and co-owner and business partner Calvin Vick left their corporate careers for entrepreneurship in 2018, driven by Vick’s daiquiri shop concept. With support from their sister company in Dallas with owners from New Orleans, they wanted to offer a taste of the city in the Midwest.

Now, there is almost a decade in KC Daiquiri Shop’s legacy solidified.

“We knew we’d be successful. A lot of people didn’t believe in the concept in the Midwest, but we know it would work,” said Strickland. “No one has the authentic New Orleans experience with the frozen daiquiris, Cajun and Creole food, the atmosphere, or the vibe.”

The restaurant is known to be a place to have a good time, but on Wednesday, Strickland felt the change in the atmosphere and a sense of urgency of customers leaving to check on family members.

“When the after party started it was kind of a somber tone,” he said. “As the day picked up it got a little more lively. But it definitely affected the tone and spirit of the day.”

Despite the event not going as planned, Strickland saluted the first responders who were quick to act to stop the incident from escalating and the people in the crowd who also jumped in to help detain the suspect, putting themselves on the line to save others. 

“As a business owner, we rely on our first responders to help keep us safe, our businesses safe, and to make sure that we’re able to provide our services in the community,” said Strickland. 

“Everyone was there to celebrate the Chiefs. You don’t think you’re going to have to deal with this, and as soon as it happened, they responded immediately. Those are true heroes.”

A special “KC Strong” emergency fund launched by the Kansas City Chiefs and the United Way of Kansas City had raised more than $535,000 as of Saturday morning to support first responders and other causes and organizations committed to healing in the wake of the shooting.