KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs team president Mark Donovan said Thursday that the team made a conscious decision to keep a May 2024 shooting incident at the team facility quiet after completing its investigation alongside the Kansas City Police Department.
On Wednesday, the Kansas City Star reported that a bullet was fired into an office at the Chiefs’ practice facility late one evening in May 2024 while coach Andy Reid was inside. A source briefed on the situation confirmed to The Athletic that the episode took place with Reid still in his office.
Speaking at the Chiefs’ annual kickoff luncheon in downtown Kansas City on Thursday, Donovan said the team went through its processes and protocols after the shooting incident 15 months ago.
“Then we went back and said, ‘OK, here’s where we are. Here’s the situation. Here’s what we’ve determined happened. What’s the next step, both from a PR standpoint (and) from a communication standpoint?’” Donovan said. “And we made our decisions and moved on.”
The Kansas City Star reported that the May 4 bullet lodged into a wall about 15 feet from Reid’s desk and that two other bullets hit the building during the incident, which occurred after midnight. Police said overnight security workers told officers that someone in the building had alerted them about a noise and observed what seemed like a bullet hole in the window.
KCPD confirmed that officers responded to the facility and that an investigation is ongoing. No charges or arrests have been made.
When asked later to confirm that the team had decided not to publicize the incident, Donovan said the team consulted with investigation, communication and safety experts before choosing how to proceed.
“We decided this was the right path to take,” Donovan said.
The Kansas City Star reported that since the incident, Reid is now protected by bulletproof glass while working in his office. Donovan did not directly confirm that on Thursday, but he did say the event resulted in the team working more closely with security personnel.
“Our focus and priority is keeping our staff, our fans and everybody involved with our organization safe,” Donovan said.
The Chiefs are in the middle of deciding on which side of the state line — Kansas or Missouri — to build their next stadium and practice facility. Both currently reside in Kansas City, Mo., which is part of Jackson County. The team’s lease expires in January 2031.
When asked Thursday, Donovan said the shooting incident wouldn’t affect the Chiefs’ determination of where to build their new stadium.
“It really doesn’t. I think in any situation, we have to be fully prepared, no matter where you go,” Donovan said. “It’s something (on which) we will be fully prepared, no matter where we go. So it really doesn’t have an impact.”
Donovan, who has worked with Reid for nearly two decades in jobs with the Philadelphia Eagles and Chiefs, said he sat down with the coach after the incident took place. He said Reid did not change his office or work routine afterward.
“When this happened, we sat down and went through the same system, same process, and got to the point of saying, ‘OK, here’s where we are,’” Donovan said. “And he was completely on board with our process and what we were doing and how we were doing it.”
Donovan declined to comment when asked if Reid was impacted emotionally by the event. Reid’s next media access will be after Friday’s home preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
Donovan made clear that the Chiefs were confident in their methods, and they also were serious about protecting their coaches, players, staffers and fans.
“Tomorrow night, there’ll be 70,000 people at our stadium. It’s our job to keep them safe,” Donovan said. “Rest assured that we invest everything we possibly can to make that happen. We have access to things other people don’t have access to, and we utilize that to make sure that not only our stadium, but our training facility, is as safe as it possibly can be.”
(Photo: Tammy Ljungblad / The Kansas City Star / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)