Family attacked at St. Patrick's Day parade

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Shots were fired and a family was attacked in a parking lot during Kansas City's St. Patrick's Day Parade, two years after similar violence prompted police to beef up parade security.

"I don't recall anything like this last year," said police Capt. Mark Francisco. "It seemed really rowdy. There was certainly more violence than you think you'd need at a parade."

Police broke up at least 10 fights, tackled a gunman and nearly shot a juvenile who had a toy gun. They arrested two men for aggravated assault, one for narcotics possession, and one man for carrying a concealed weapon. Seven people were arrested for city violations.

In one attack Friday, a Kansas City Star employee and his family were kicked and beaten toward the end of the parade in one of the newspaper's parking lots. A witness and Star security officials said one youth shot a gun into the air.

The employee, 37, who works as a floor supervisor in the packaging and distribution department, attended the parade with his wife, three children and other relatives. He said a youth approached him and made a comment he did not understand.

"The next thing I knew I had 10 to 15 guys on me," he said. "My wife was on the ground getting (beat), too."

He declined to give his name. He said his 16-year-old daughter was hit in the stomach.

The man had a gash on his head and was treated in a hospital for a possible concussion.

"That's the last time my family goes to that parade," he said.

Mary Nestel, lead organizer of the parade, said later she was shocked and upset to learn of the violence. Neither her staff nor the police had reported any serious incidents to her, she said.

Nestel said parade organizers and the police had invested money and effort into addressing the problems of two years ago. The parade now starts earlier than before, and the route has been shortened. The presence of police and liquor-control officers was beefed up.

Police said they had about the same number of officers working this year as last year. They said that although more mayhem occurred Friday than last year, the problems were not as great as two years ago when two bystanders were shot and police nearly lost control of a crowd. That year they arrested 17 persons.

Police speculated that violence might have escalated because the parade was on a Friday and because it started an hour later than last year.

"I think we were adequately staffed," said Capt. Rich Lockhart, police spokesman.