TULSA, Okla. — Nathan Soldner drove from Miami to celebrate his beloved Chiefs in person with a friend and his family.
He told 2 News on Feb. 15 he wanted to find the perfect spot in the heart of Downtown Kansas City for the victory parade.
That, of course, was at Union Station across the street from the National World War I Museum, close to the stage where the team and city leaders gave speeches.
But Soldner said right after star tight-end Travis Kelce gave a speech to a fiery crowd, a sound of firecrackers rang out, and he witnessed someone get shot within ten feet of him.
"Now, sitting there thinking about it, was that confetti cannon I heard, or was that some shots going off? And then the crowd just really started running, and you could tell something was going on," Soldner said via Zoom.
"We were luckily near the barricade and so a couple officers were right there and directing us towards the parking garage to get out of there. But at one point the officer had my wife and daughter stand against the barricade and huddle down for a minute. It was at that point I saw one of the victims that did get shot, and he was just laying there. And they were trying to do what they could for him," he added.
Soldner said he was able to find an Uber to take his family and friend to their hotel and returned to their home in Miami Wednesday night.
He added he's thankful just to hug his wife and daughter and go back to work after the chaos.
"Unfortunately, some people made some bad decisions and turned the day that was supposed to be celebratory into a day of tragedy," he said.
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