In the midst of the chaos in Kansas City on Wednesday, Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith did what he could to help calm a young boy. Smith shared his WWE replica championship belt with a young boy as they took shelter during a mass shooting in the closing moments of the team’s Super Bowl parade.
As shots rang out near Kansas City’s Union Station, Smith and some of his other teammates helped bystanders find shelter. Smith and long snapper James Winchester gathered some fans and took shelter in a closet, and Smith credited Winchester for keeping people calm in a frightening scenario.
Smith also did his part to take one young boy’s mind off the situation. Smith had been carrying a WWE title belt around at the parade, and when he saw the frightened boy, Smith knew what he had to do.
On Thursday, Smith told “Good Morning America” about how he shared the belt and talked wrestling with the boy in hopes of taking his mind off the panic that was ensuing just outside the closet door.
“This little boy was with his father, and he was a little hysterical,” Smith said. “He’s just panicked. He’s scared. He doesn’t know what’s going on. I had the WWE belt on me the entire parade. I was thinking, ‘What can I do to help him out?’ I handed him the belt like, ‘Hey buddy, you’re the champion. No one’s gonna hurt you. Don’t worry. No one’s gonna hurt you, man. We got your back.’ We just started talking about wrestling.”
Smith also noted that Kansas City will recover from this tragedy, and the city will come out stronger as a result.
“At the end of the day, Kansas City is a great city,” Smith said. “We’re gonna stand up together, and we’re gonna be strong.”
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said one person died and 22 more were wounded as a result of the shooting. It seems as though the shooting began as a “dispute between several people.” Three people, including two juveniles, have been detained as authorities continue their investigation.
KVSP