Nine injured after shooting near England team's World Cup base in Kansas City
Nine people have been left injured in a shooting that took place near England’s World Cup base in Kansas City, Missouri.
The incident happened at around 4am on Saturday morning on Troost Avenue, less than four miles from England’s Swope Soccer Village Camp.
Kansas City Police Department captain Jake Becchina confirmed to The Athletic that his officers had been sent to the scene after shots had been heard.
Upon arrival, cops found a ‘large crowd dispersing’ and three women who had sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.
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In total, nine people had been injured in the incident and had been sent to various hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. An update on their condition has not yet been shared.
Police told The Athletic that no suspects had been arrested in connection to the incident and officers are continuing to patrol the area.
Local resident Kate Fowler told The Kansas City Star that she had slept through the incident but said that she wants to move out of the area as it’s ‘so unpredictable’.
She told the publication that she hears gunshots ‘at least once a week’.
“It’s not the residents, it’s the traffic and the foot traffic, and the lack of resources that causes this type of thing, in my opinion,” she said.
Although the incident happened close to where England will be staying during the World Cup, players and staff were not on-site at the time, as the team is currently training in Florida.
On Saturday afternoon, England secured a 1-0 victory against New Zealand’s All Whites in a pre-tournament friendly, with Harry Kane scoring just ahead of half time.
The team will next face Costa Rica on Wednesday in Orlando for their last friendly.
They will then head to Kansas City on Saturday, 13 June, where they’ll stay for the rest of the competition.
The team will train at the Swope Soccer Village, which is usually home to Sporting KC’s reserve and academy sides.
The Netherlands and Argentina’s national team are also situated out in Kansas City, taking the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League base and the main training facility of Sporting Kansas City’s, respectively.
Claire Reid