The shootings at the Superbowl parade take away special immunity from American sports. That will change the atmosphere in the stadiums.

Great chaos after shooting at Victory Parade grounds in Kansas City Photo: Reed Hoffmann/ap

There's nothing more American than the Superbowl and there's nothing more American than mass shootings, so it was basically a matter of time before the two met. Last Wednesday, as the Chiefs celebrated their third Super Bowl in four years and second in a row with their fans in downtown Kansas City, the time had come.

The football heroes surrounding Patrick Mahomes and Taylor Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce had just rolled down Grand Boulevard waving and dancing in open SUVs and double-decker buses when the shots were fired. Suddenly the stars united with their fans in a completely different way than they had ever imagined. They fled with them away from the fire and sought refuge. Offensive lineman Trey Smith grabbed a 5-year-old boy who was lost in the chaos and dragged him into a restaurant closet.

It was the 48th mass shooting in the United States this year, essentially a day like any other in public life in a country that has become desensitized to such madness. Then you heard the thoughtful phrases you hear every time. “Thoughts and prayers” – good thoughts and prayers – were offered and once again there was a call for stricter gun laws, knowing full well that they will not be enforced. And people were rhetorically asking how many more times does this have to happen before it's enough.

The only news about the tragedy is that it has now affected the largest sporting event in the country. Until now, sports have seemed largely immune to the gun violence epidemic. It seemed like it was still bringing people together in a way that other areas of American life seemed to be failing. Although no public space in the US has been safe for a long time (not a school, not a movie theater, not a nightclub, not a shopping mall), the United States has still been relatively carefree about going to the stadium.

That's over now, after the Denver Nuggets' NBA celebration last summer ended with a shootout. In the future you will never again be able to sit in the stands and enjoy a game as relaxed as before.

This also applies to fans planning to travel to the United States for the 2026 World Cup. Surely some of their supporters will now think twice before deciding whether they want to undertake the expensive trip or whether they prefer to take the warnings of numerous governments seriously. and from the human rights organization Amnesty International that the United States is a dangerous tourist destination. Of course, even this potential economic damage won't convince lawmakers to take any action. As long as Republican politicians in Washington, all 50 states, and local governments can block gun laws, they will.

Meanwhile, even professional sports are no longer affected. Shootings have long been common at high school games, which are the main entertainment for small communities in many areas of the United States. In 2023, 38 incidents of this type occurred, with a total of four deaths.