‘Cop-out.’ Some Republicans furious with Chiefs rally shooting plea deals
Missouri Republican lawmakers this week expressed outrage over Jackson County’s decision to drop murder charges against two individuals involved in the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs rally mass shooting.
The fury comes just weeks after Prosecutor Melesa Johnson struck plea deals with Terry Young and Dominic Miller, two of three men charged with murder following the high-profile shooting that killed one person, Liza Lopez-Galvan, and injured more than 20 others.
“Plea deals like this undermine accountability,” said Senate Majority Leader Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican. “It’s charging decisions like this that make criminals feel emboldened to commit violent crimes in certain parts of Kansas City.”
The plea deals have sparked intense pushback in Kansas City, including from Lopez-Galvan’s family and others who were present during the shooting at the Chiefs Super Bowl victory rally outside Union Station. For many, the light sentences marked a shocking and meager ending to the life-altering tragedy witnessed by thousands.
Young and Miller, initially charged with second-degree murder, both pleaded guilty to lesser weapons charges and each received a two-year prison sentence, which included time served. A third man, Lyndell Mays, is set to go to trial in March 2027 and faces a second-degree murder charge and an additional charge of causing catastrophe.
Johnson has placed blame on Missouri’s sweeping self-defense law, which gives individuals broad discretion to use deadly force if they believe they are about to be attacked. She said that the law restricted her ability to prosecute the two cases and called on lawmakers to make changes.
“That’s a cop-out,” said Luetkemeyer, who is running for Platte County prosecutor. “The shooters created the dangerous situation by firing into a crowded public rally. That conduct is not shielded by a self-defense claim.”
More than 20 people were shot at the 2024 rally shooting, including nine children who ranged in age from 6 to 15. In the immediate aftermath, officials told The Star that eight of the victims had “immediately life-threatening injuries,” while Lopez-Galvan, a beloved mother, wife, sister and local DJ, marked the sole fatality.
Police contend that the shooting came in the wake of a dispute between two groups as thousands celebrated the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory outside Union Station. The event quickly descended into chaos as the rounds of shots sent thousands scrambling for cover, including fans, top city and state officials and state lawmakers in both Kansas and Missouri.
The fact that the sentences for Young and Miller included time served allowed them to serve extraordinarily short sentences. Miller has already been released from custody.
While the plea deals have placed new scrutiny on Missouri’s self-defense law, often called “stand your ground,” most Republicans rejected calls to make tweaks to the legislation or any of the state’s gun laws, which are among the loosest in the nation. Most shifted the blame back to Johnson.
“I hate to always question a prosecutor, but that seems like it’s a stretch to me,” Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe said when asked about Johnson’s focus on the self-defense law. “I hope that’s not a political statement more than it is reality.”
One Republican lawmaker with an extensive law enforcement background also questioned whether the self-defense law applied to the Chiefs rally shooting. Rep. Lane Roberts, a former police chief and director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety, suggested Johnson’s decision could have been political.
“I’ll tell you what it feels like — it kind of feels like ‘in your face,’ somebody who’s maybe a bit more liberal minded telling the more conservative mind ‘see what you did,’” said Roberts, a Joplin Republican. “I don’t like it very much.”
A spokesperson for Johnson was diplomatic about the criticism of her charging decision in a statement to The Star on Friday.
“Prosecutor Johnson remains committed to working alongside Missouri lawmakers to protect the people of Jackson County and ensure that every victim receives the justice they deserve,” said spokesperson Jazzlyn Johnson.
Despite the Republican pushback, the top Republican in the Missouri House signaled a willingness to discuss changes to the law. House Speaker Jonathan Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, said he recently met with Johnson and called her “very professional.”
“We’re working on looking at language to see if there are any changes that need to be made,” said Patterson, who is running for state Senate. “If there are laws that need to be changed, I would be the first to sponsor it and really push it.”
Patterson’s comments could be a welcomed sign for Missouri Democrats, who have long pushed for changes to the state’s gun laws. Democratic lawmakers who spoke with The Star, including those present at the 2024 shooting, said the plea deals affirmed their beliefs about the state’s lax approach to guns.
“When I had to text my kids who were watching the parade live to let them know that I was OK, even as I was escaping out the back door and didn’t know if I was OK,” said Rep. Aaron Crossley, an Independence Democrat. “I think we just have to ask ourselves, ‘what are we doing?’”
Democratic Sen. Steven Roberts, a former St. Louis prosecutor who also attended the Chiefs rally when shots rang out, said he would defer to Johnson’s expertise and placed blame on the self-defense law.
“It’s really unfortunate that we’re in a situation now, because of how broad our gun laws are in this state, that this tragedy can happen and we’re not able to hold folks accountable,” said Roberts.
This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 11:35 AM.
