Man Misidentified as Chiefs Parade Shooter Dies — as Family Seeks Justice for Falsehoods Spread by Lawmakers

A Kansas man who was wrongly accused of being responsible for the mass shooting at the February 2024 Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade has died, according to his family’s attorney.

Denton Loudermill Jr. was found dead on the morning of Friday, April 11, by his family, his attorneys confirmed over the weekend. Attorney Arthur Benson confirmed the news with local WDAF and WJBF, while attorney LaRonna Lassiter Saunders confirmed Loudermill Jr.’s death in a statement on Facebook.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news of Mr. Loudermill’s passing,” Saunders wrote. “More details will be provided in time, but for now, we ask that you honor the family’s need for privacy as they come together to grieve this tremendous loss.”

Loudermill Jr. was 49 years old.

The Olathe, Kan., man was falsely accused by several Republican lawmakers and social media influencers of being the supposed sole mass shooter responsible for the Feb. 14, 2024, shooting following the Chiefs’ 2024 Super Bowl victory parade. The false rumor, in which several GOP lawmakers also referred to him as an “illegal alien,” had started on social media after a user shared a photo of Loudermill Jr. sitting on a curb in handcuffs following the shooting. 

In reality, Loudermill Jr. had been improperly detained by police for allegedly moving too slowly while evacuating the scene of the shooting and was let go shortly after he was handcuffed, his lawyers argued in multiple civil lawsuits filed against the Missouri lawmakers.

The lawsuits were filed last year against Republican Rep. Tim Burchett and three Republican Missouri state senators: Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, and Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg and Nick Schroer of St. Charles County. The suits were thrown out a month later by a federal judge who cited issues with jurisdiction.

According to local Fox 4, Loudermill Jr. had filed the lawsuits in a federal court in Kansas, rather than Missouri, the state where the lawmakers were from. The shooting happened in downtown Kansas City, Mo.

Loudermill Jr.’s attorneys vowed to continue fighting his case in court after his death. 

“If you thought we were determined before, you haven’t seen anything yet!” Saunders wrote on social media.

“While the family takes this time to mourn, we want to make it clear that this is not over,” she added. “Mr. Loudermill should not have spent his final days burdened with stress and chasing down a lie that went viral due to the careless and heartless actions of a Congressman, Missouri senators, and social media influencers, who couldn’t be bothered to verify the truth before destroying a man’s life.”

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One person — popular local radio DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan — was killed and 22 others were injured in the shooting. Many of the injured were children.

PEOPLE previously reported that three other men were later charged in the mass shooting, which allegedly began after an argument between the suspects, prosecutors alleged.