Not even a month ago, in March, we reported that Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson wanted to amend Missouri’s self-defense law. Her office declined 57 cases in 2025 alone as they failed to prove assault charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Adding to that list was Dominic Miller, one of the three shooting suspects in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade in 2024.

The Chiefs scripted history by beating the San Francisco 49ers to secure the NFL’s first back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 20 years. But their celebrations ended early with a mass shooting striking 24 and killing a local radio host, Lisa Lopez-Galvan. While Johnson continues to fix the wrongs, no change has come so far. If anything, Lopez-Galvan’s family has received another reason to mourn her with the latest verdict from the Jackson County court.

The prosecutors have dropped a second-degree murder charge against Terry Young, one of the three suspects for the shooting in that parade, FOX4 reported on Friday. The decision came after Young appeared in Jackson County Circuit Court at 2 p.m. Friday for a case management conference.

Walking into that hearing, he faced one count of second-degree murder, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action. He pleaded guilty to a weapons offense and will no longer appear in his jury trial. Young will directly serve two years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Johnson was not happy with the verdict, but the conditions remain out of her hands.

Prosecutor Johnson disagrees with the verdict

“We strongly agree with the Lopez-Galvan family that the greatest justice would be having Lisa back and home with her family. While we are not satisfied with today’s outcome and share in the disappointment expressed by Lisa’s family, our duty requires us to continually evaluate each case under the constraints of existing law to determine a resolution commensurate with each defendant’s conduct,” Johnson said yesterday.

Young’s verdict comes roughly a month after his friend, Miller, was already allowed to walk off. The third friend, Lyndell Mays, awaits his trial on March 3, 2027. He is currently held in the Jackson County jail with a $1 million bail. The reasoning remains the biggest hurdle here.

“Under Missouri’s self-defense and defense-of-others doctrines, we must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any charged defendant was the initial aggressor or did not act in lawful self-defense or defense of others to overcome justification,” the Jackson County prosecutor’s office said in a written statement.

However, how far should that law be pushed?

Prosecutor Johnson further asked her community to stay with the office as they continue to pursue justice within the bounds of the law. She, for one, would be rooting to get the law amended.

The charges are also against two 16-year-olds. One of the couple is facing unlawful use of a weapon, and the other is facing undisclosed gun-related charges. There was also a 15-year-old minor charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action.

Meanwhile, the family of the victim of the heinous act is disappointed with the outcome of the legal proceedings.

Family of the victim “disappointed” with the court’s judgment

Lisa Lopez-Galvan, the host of a local radio show, was watching the rally with her family among a sea of Kansas City Chiefs supporters after their second consecutive Lombardi Trophy win in 2024. However, as gunshots were fired, two dozen other people, many of them children, were wounded. That wasn’t the story of the 43-year-old, who lost her life.

Lopez-Galvan’s family is seeking accountability through a civil lawsuit. In 2025, they filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Kansas City Sports Commission, Union Station, and the city of Kansas City. In March, Lopez-Galvan’s family reached a partial settlement with Union Station, though the terms of the agreement were not publicly disclosed. However, the pain doesn’t stop as they continue to see the suspects get easy punishments.

“The Lisa Lopez Galvan family continues to mourn the devastating loss of our beloved Lisa. Today’s hearing is another painful reminder that while these cases may move through the legal system, our family continues to live with the loss of Lisa every single day,” the statement said, per FOX4.

“We are disappointed that the outcome in this case is the same as the last. As this case comes to a close, we are reminded that no court outcome can truly measure what was taken from us.”

The celebrations quickly turned into a sad story for the Missouri locals, but especially for Lopez-Galvan’s family, who continue to get nightmares from that day.

The story of February 14, 2024

Red and gold covered the street in front of the Union Station as everyone cheered the team set to build a new dynasty in the NFL. Soon, that confetti was covered in innocent blood.

Terry Young was attending the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade outside Union Station with a group of friends. Moments later, Young, with Lyndell Mays and Dominic Miller, approached a group that was involved in an argument. Soon, Mays and Young pulled out handguns along with 10 other people, resulting in at least six of those individuals firing their weapons.

The 43-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan, who was celebrating the victory with other Chiefs fans and her family, was shot during the commotion. The surveillance video revealed Young shooting several times. After the shooting, Mays and Miller were charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon, while Young was arrested a month after the shooting.

While two of the three suspects in the Chiefs’ championship parade tragedy saw significant charges dropped, the disappointed family of victim Lisa Lopez-Galvan hopes for justice as the third suspect, Lyndell Mays, still awaits trial in 2027. Hopefully, Prosecutor Johnson will be able to find a way to bring justice to Lopez-Galvan’s family before that.