‘Not losing my mind!’: KC area reacts as suspected Chinese spy balloon passes overhead
The question Josh Linville posted to his Twitter account became a common query on Friday for those living in the Kansas City region.
“Anyone know the location of that balloon as of this morning?” Linville asked about the suspected Chinese spy balloon that was first seen floating above Montana on Thursday before drifting east across the United States.
“There is a white thing in the air moving very slowing south of Kansas City that I can see out my window,” Linville said. He followed that with a photo that he said was taken looking south from Platte City.
He wasn’t alone. Others had noticed it too.
The Pentagon disclosed Friday that the object was floating across the center of the country.
And with confirmation in a tweet from that National Weather Service in Kansas City that it too had been receiving reports of a balloon, Linville tweeted: “I’m not losing my mind!”
The weather service said people in northwest Missouri were reporting seeing a large balloon visible on the horizon.
“It’s now visible from our office in Pleasant Hill and the KC Metro,” the weather service said. “We have confirmed that it is not an NWS weather balloon.”
That prompted responses about various ways to bring it down, including people wondering if Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes could hit it.
“Breaking: With the Chinese balloon positioned over Kansas City, the DOD has requested that Patrick Mahomes throw straight up to bring it down. True if huge,” wrote OSINT_Amateur on Twitter.
Speculation also turned to what the Chinese might gain by spying on Kansas City, with some floating theories that they were trying to steal the Chiefs’ Super Bowl game plans or, heaven forbid, barbecue secrets.
“I am proud of the great people of Kansas City for protecting our bbq secrets from the Chinese spy balloon,” eapenthampy wrote.
