The mother of one of the young men accused in the shooting during the Kansas City Super Bowl parade raised eyebrows by setting up a GoFundMePage, not for the many victims of the incident, but for her son, the suspected perpetrator.
Teneal Burnside courted criticism for setting up the fundraising page for her son, 23-year-old Lyndell Mays, who was arrested and charged in the Feb. 14 shooting incident that left one dead and about two dozen injured, the New York Post reported.
But mother Burnside insisted that her son was just going through a “tragic time” and needed people’s support.
23-year-old Lyndell Mays was released from the hospital and booked into the Jackson County jail this evening.
Mays previously faced a disorderly conduct charge through the Belton municipal court in 2021. He served 5 days in jail and was on probation until earlier this month. pic.twitter.com/ZRQqN4b0AY
— Matt Evans (@MattEvansKMBC) February 21, 2024
“He is in the ICU fighting for a recovery from several surgeries from going to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration with his older sister,” Burnside added in the fundraiser, which has since been deleted from the GoFundMe website.
“Getting shot multiple times at a time that was [meant] to bring so much joy to so many has [brought] pain and sadness to all that was attending,” the fundraiser description said.
Burnside had launched the fundraising page the day before her son was officially charged with the shooting. He was eventually hit with charges of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
The shooting erupted when Mays and 18-year-old Dominic Miller began arguing as they stood among the crowd of Super Bowl revelers.
According to a police report, Mays took offense at something about the opposing group, which consisted of Miller and several juveniles.
Did GoFundMe do the right thing by shutting down this fundraiser?
In short order, Mays reportedly drew a gun and began shooting indiscriminately.
Police said Mays admitted firing his weapon without regard for the throng of people — which included many children.
“When asked why Lyndell Mays advanced on [the individuals] to begin with, he replied, ‘Stupid, man. Just pulled a gun out and started shooting. I shouldn’t have done that. Just being stupid,’” the New York Times reported, citing a probable-cause statement.
“When reminded that the person Lyndell Mays was shooting at was running away from him, Lyndell Mays replied, ‘I know,’” the police report added.
The police report also said that Mays admitted to being the first to draw his weapon and open fire during the parade.
“Lyndell Mays confirmed he shot first and shot two times. Lyndell Mays acknowledged he shouldn’t have pulled a gun out,” the report said.
Mays has been charged with the death of radio DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan, who was caught in the crossfire between Mays and his targets.
Burnside’s fundraiser may have been deleted by GoFundMe itself, as the website has a policy of disallowing fundraisers for people charged with crimes.
“GoFundMe’s Terms of Service prohibit raising money for the legal defense of an alleged violent crime,” the outlet says on its FAQ page.
