KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Kansas City police are containing a standoff in the Truman Sports Complex parking lot after a man with guns fired shots at employees in Arrowhead Stadium.
The man arrived at Arrowhead around 11:30 a.m. Saturday before firing shots at employees. No one was hit, said Kansas City Police Department spokesman Capt. Dave Jackson.
Since then, the standoff has been contained, Jackson said.
"We think this is more of a mental health situation that has arrived at Arrowhead," Jackson said. "This is a dynamic, dangerous situation. This person is armed with guns and we are using all of our deescalation techniques that we have in order to end this peacefully."
At times, the man has pointed the guns and at other times placed the guns in his waistband as he moves around, Jackson said.
Some employees have sheltered inside, Jackson said, adding that police are confident the employees are safe where they are. There are employees inside both Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead, he said.
"It's my understanding that he has no connection to the Chiefs or Royals in any way," Jackson said.
Jackson said negotiators with crisis intervention training are on site to try to talk to the man. By 3:30 p.m., they were still negotiating.
The Royals were scheduled to play Saturday evening.
"The Royals game is probably not going to change our demeanor," Jackson said. He said police will be there as long as needed to handle it safely.
Whether or not the game will continue is up to the Royals and the MLB. Jackson said police and the organization have been communicating.
"Our goal is to keep him contained and to keep him away from innocent people that he could hurt, and then to use dialogue to end this peacefully," Jackson said.
The roads around the complex are still open while the area is on lockdown.
KC Royals manager Mike Matheny said the team is inside and moving forward like the game will be played.
He said all of the entrances are monitored and that access to the stadium is in lockdown. However, he said, that's not out of the ordinary because of COVID-19.
"We kind of changed where we're bringing the players in," Matheny said. "Just a different gate kind of further away from some of the issues that are going on and now we've got everybody in and it's just business as usual."
