Trey Filter has been hailed as a hero after he helped tackle the suspected shooter in Wednesday's mass shooting that killed 1 person.
A man who tackled the suspected shooter in Wednesday's mass shooting in Kansas City is speaking out. Trey Filter and his wife, Casey, who helped secure the gun after the alleged gunman was taken to the ground, described to ET the chaos that ensued moments after the Chiefs' Super Bowl Victory Parade and Rally ended.
The Filters were among the approximately one million fans in attendance for the parade and rally in downtown Kansas City. For the second straight year, the couple said they and their teenage sons made the three-hour drive north from Wichita to attend the Super Bowl LVIII win celebration, which included listening to stars like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce address the crowd from a stage set up in front of Union Station.
"We noticed while we were there, there was a heavy military presence. There was people on the roofs, the assault rifles. There was lots of cops everywhere," Trey said. "We felt safe. I know we did."
The couple tells ET that after the rally ended, they were among the sea of fans heading back to their cars when, out of nowhere, Trey said he heard "rapid fire."
"I was under the impression it was a jokester or something," he added.
Trey and Casey said they immediately knew something was wrong when they saw cops running through the crowd.
"We see lights, you know, cops zipping around, and things are starting to get a little messy," Trey added.
Just then, Trey says he heard someone yell "Get 'em." Amid the commotion, Trey says he noticed the alleged gunman fleeing.
"So, I just turned around and tackled him," Trey said.
Trey added that he tackled the man with the help of another man who has since been identified as Paul Contreras from Omaha, Nebraska. There's video circulating on social media showing the intense takedown.
"There was another gentleman at the time that was there that helped assist me," Trey continued. "We got him down ... [then] somebody starts screaming, 'There's the gun. There's the gun.' Apparently it was knocked out of his possession when I hit him. It was an assault rifle. So, me and the other gentlemen were just fishing for a gun, trying to keep him down waiting for the police."
Casey then stepped in. Trey says she "saw the gun and grabbed it and pulled it away."
Paul would later tell the ABC affiliate, KETV, in Omaha that the alleged gunman fought the entire time trying to "get up and run away."
"We're fighting each other, you know," Paul said. "We're fighting to keep him down and he's fighting to get up."
Paul said it only took seconds for police to step in but it felt like forever.
Trey tells ET that once police arrived, they helped him to his feet and he couldn't wait to get home.
"I saw my oldest son, and I found my other kid and my wife," Trey says. "And I said, 'Let's get the hell out of here.'"
The Kansas City Police Department acknowledged the two men for their bravery. Police say three individuals -- including two juveniles -- are in custody in connection with the deadly mass shooting. A total of 23 people -- including at least nine children -- were shot and one person was killed. The deceased person was identified as Lisa Lopez-Galvan -- a mother of two, diehard Chiefs fan and popular DJ and radio host at KKFI's 90.1 FM. She was 43.
Police said Thursday that the mass shooting stemmed from an apparent dispute between several people that ended in gunfire. Trey tells ET that he had no intention in trying to be a "badass or anything" when he sprung into action.
"It was just a bunch of craziness," Casey added. "I was just worried about my husband and my kids. And then once I saw the gun, I knew that needed to go away. So, I put that into a safer place. It just happened so fast. It was over so quickly. It was a very crazy five minutes of our life."
RELATED CONTENT:
