Murder charge dropped. Man pleads to lesser charge in KC Chiefs rally shooting
Dominic M. Miller pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful use of a weapon in Jackson County Circuit Court Monday for his role in the 2024 Chiefs Super Bowl rally shooting that killed a Johnson County mother and injured dozens.
The 20-year-old Kansas City man was accused of firing the fatal shot that killed 43-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan of Shawnee.
Miller appeared before Jackson County Judge Kevin D. Harrell Monday morning. He was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for time served.
Lopez-Galvan’s family members were emotional as they left the courtroom, with many in tears. Lopez-Galvan’s sister declined to comment at the time.
Defense attorneys ushered Miller to the court elevators after the hearing. Both Miller and his attorneys declined to comment to reporters about the plea deal.
Defense attorneys said that Miller would be out “soon” with the amount of time he has served since the shooting.
Miller had been scheduled to stand trial early next month on charges of second-degree felony murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action.
The other counts were dismissed as part of the plea.
More than two dozen people attended the hearing, mostly family and friends as they waited for Miller to be transferred to the courtroom. They wore buttons with Lopez-Galvan’s photo and ribbon attached to them. The button read, “Forever in our hearts.”
When Miller entered the courtroom, he was dressed in an orange jumpsuit and had his hands and feet in shackles. Family and friends used tissues to wipe away tears.
Adriana Galvan, Lopez-Galvan’s daughter, read from a statement at the hearing saying she was speaking on behalf of her brother as well.
Galvan said her mother was more than just a victim — she was a caring mother and wife and always showed up to help the community.
“Losing my mother that day was the worst thing that could happen,” Adriana Galvan said. She said she has frequent flashbacks to what happened and spoke of milestones like weddings and grandchildren that her mother will never see.
The violence that occurred at the rally not only impacted the victim’s family, but the whole community, she said, adding that there needs to be a change.
“She didn’t deserve to die that day,” Adriana Galvan said, adding that her mom deserved to come home and have more time with her family.
Carmen Lopez Murguia, Lopez-Galvan’s sister, said that from the day her sister was born, she was her keeper. She said she tried to protect her, but the hardest truth is that she couldn’t that day.
The shooting turned a day of celebration into chaos, which followed them home, Lopez Murguia said. Her sister’s loss is the kind of loss that doesn’t disappear, she said, adding that her absence will be felt forever in the community she served.
Lopez Murguia also said that accountability matters. She said Miller needs to make better choices so that something like this never happens again. Those choices need to start today, she said.
Lopez-Galvan’s husband, Michael Galvan, said the day of the shooting was the worst day of his life. He said the senseless acts committed by Miller and the others should not go unpunished.
He said they were asking for justice, spoke of forgiveness, but added they would never forget.
Prior to being sentenced, Miller said he was remorseful and that he had been praying for the families.
The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation, also known as the Uvalde Foundation for Kids, denounced the decision to drop the murder charge in a statement released to the press, saying that the decision risks sending a message that the legal system struggles to deal with the consequences of gun violence.
“While we respect the independence of the courts, we cannot remain silent when outcomes fail to reflect the magnitude of the harm inflicted on a community,” the statement reads. “When individuals introduce firearms into volatile confrontations inside massive crowds, the predictable result is tragedy.
“The death of Lisa Lopez-Galvan was not an abstract legal theory — it was a real human life taken in the middle of a family event attended by thousands.”
Miller is one of three adults who was accused of murder in the mass shooting that erupted at the close of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally celebration outside Union Station on Feb. 14, 2024, killing Lopez-Galvin of Shawnee. About two dozen others were struck by gunfire, nearly half of whom were children under 16 years old, and about 60 others were injured in the chaos that followed.
Lydell Mays, 25, of Raytown, and Terry Young, 22, of Kansas City, both face identical charges of second-degree felony murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action. Mays also faces a charge of causing a catastrophe.
Mays is scheduled to stand trial in March 2027. A trial date has not been set yet for Young.
Prosecutors allege an argument between two groups escalated into gunfire. Miller and Mays, who were on opposing sides, were both wounded.
Investigators alleged that Mays pulled out his weapon and fired first, but that the shot that killed Lopez-Galvan came from Miller’s firearm, court documents state. Surveillance footage is also said to show Young firing multiple rounds during the incident.
Under Missouri law, authorities can bring a murder charge against individuals involved in a fatal felony, even if that person did not fire the deadly shot.
Three teens have also had been charged in the shooting. In July 2024, Jackson County Administrative Judge Jennifer Phillips ordered a 15-year-old to serve a term at a state facility for youths after accepting his admission that he committed the charge of unlawful use of a weapon by knowingly discharging or firing a firearm at a person.
The cases against the two other teens have concluded, but details of the outcomes of their cases were not available due to the fact they were juveniles.
This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 12:35 PM.
