As it turned out, it was a lot safer.
Minutes after they started walking, gunfire rang out downtown in the area where the Berardis would have been if they had headed west.
“I just had a really weird feeling‚” said Bekah, 32, a Franklin native who was homeschooled and is a law student in Kansas City and an intern in the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office. “Something told me it was time to leave.”
On Friday, two days after the shooting outside Union Station, two juveniles were charged with crimes connected to the shooting, authorities said.
A news release from the Jackson County Family Court said the juveniles were being detained in the county’s Juvenile Detention Center “on gun-related and resisting arrest charges.” The release said it is “anticipated that additional charges are expected in the future” as the investigation by the Kansas City Police Department continues.
A mother of two was killed and 22 people were injured by gunfire Wednesday afternoon when shots erupted amid the throng of fans gathered at a rally outside Union Station after a parade through the city. Police Chief Stacey Graves said victims ranged from ages 8 to 47, with half under 16.
The Berardis attended the rally to celebrate the Kansas City Royals World Series championship in 2015 and decided to watch the Super Bowl rally due to the beautiful weather. She said Wednesday was the “prettiest day” in months.
The blue skies were filled with red and yellow confetti, the team colors of the Chiefs, and it was “wall to wall” people, she said.
When they heard gun shots they immediately started getting text messages from friends and co-workers who knew they were at the rally. One text from a friend, an emergency room nurse, said there was “an active shooter” in the area.
Nick Berardi is a Kanas City firefighter, and he received alerts.
“It was one of those experiences that you say, ‘I can’t believe it’s happening,’” she said. “What a fun experience that turned horrific.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, as she filled up her car with gas, she remembers seeing others wearing Chiefs gear. Everyone was friendly.
“You’re not a stranger in your city if you’re a Chiefs fan,” she said. “To feel that unity, followed by darkness. Now there is this shadow over this memory. Instead of a Super Bowl that brought the community together, it will be remembered as a mass shooting.”
Now she finds herself dealing with the emotions of a survivor. She couldn’t stop crying when she woke up Thursday morning.
“I know it’s a cliche, but you never think it’s going to happen to you,” she said. “But I can’t live in fear. I’m not going to let this take my memories and steer my life. Life is too short. You only get so many memories.”
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