National Football League

Nick Wright reacts to Chiefs parade shooting in his hometown of Kansas City

Published Feb. 15, 2024 5:42 p.m. ET

Nick Wright and the "First Things First" crew were on location in downtown Kansas City at the Chiefs' Super Bowl LVIII victory parade, at the end of which one person was killed and more than 20 others injured in a shooting.

Police said the shooting Wednesday stemmed from a dispute between parade-goers and have arrested three suspects, two of which are juveniles. Half of the injured victims were under the age of 16.

Wright and the entire team from FOX Sports were all safe, along with Wright's wife, who also attended the parade along with her sister and best friend.

In an emotional seven-minute monologue on Thursday's edition of "First Things First," Wright said the 10 seconds in between hearing there was a shooter at the parade and locating his wife and her companions in the crowd were the longest and most harrowing 10 seconds of his life — but not compared to the rage he felt when realizing how normal the sensation had become for children growing up in an age of active shooters.

"That 10 seconds felt like it was five minutes," Wright said. "But that is such a different feeling than for these young kids who have now had to learn, drill and experience what to do in a mass shooting situation before they lose their first tooth, before they have their first kiss.

"For those kids there yesterday, part of their childhood ended. And to [co-host Kevin Wildes'] point, those are the kids we consider lucky — the kids who didn't end up in hospital beds."

Wright said he did not cry until he and his wife got back to their hotel — and ran into a fellow Chiefs fan there.

The fan, an older woman who recognized Wright, walked up to him and gave him a hug while fighting back tears.

"And then we talked, and she said she was there with her kids and grandkids. And her, I believe she said 14-year-old granddaughter, had to take the lead because she's been trained for this and the adults hadn't," Wright said. "And I cried because it's so doggone cruel what we've taken from this generation of kids."

You can watch Wright's full statements below.

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