The steady, focal point of America’s World Cup moment was supposed to be Kansas City. Geographically, it was ideal—it was close enough to Boston, Dallas, and the coasts to support several national teams. There, England established a camp. Argentina did the same. The Netherlands did the same. For a short while, this Midwestern city seemed to be hosting something truly historic when the flags were raised at Swope Soccer Village and the signs read “The Home of England.”
Then Friday night arrived.
The England national team’s equipment vanished somewhere between Florida and Kansas City. Not a bag or two of equipment that had been loaded into cars and driven from the Palm Beach Gardens pre-tournament training base. Citing an ongoing police investigation, the English Football Association confirmed the theft to reporters but did little more. Two individuals were placed under arrest. Without providing much more information, Kansas City Police Department Sgt. Phil DiMartino confirmed the detentions.
The extent of the response was made clear by Mayor Quinton Lucas, who has subtly taken on the role of spokesperson for the city’s World Cup communications. Federal, state, and local authorities worked together to determine the precise location of the items’ theft as well as any potential accomplices. How the theft was done and whether the thieves knew whose equipment they were targeting are still unknown. That final question seems worthwhile given how obvious England’s World Cup setup has been—flags, signage, the entire production.
The timing and visibility of the crime seem to have taken the city by surprise, rather than the crime itself. This was no small-scale local incident. It was England. Harry Kane’s group. This is the type of story that quickly spreads throughout international sports media. A few days later, Kansas City encountered a much more serious issue.
Within about half an hour on a Tuesday night, several shootings occurred along Interstate 670 and Interstate 70. Oscar Sanchez-Munoz, according to the police, opened fire on several cars traveling east, killing one person and wounding four more. After being struck, one victim crashed close to Truman Road and Bennington Avenue and passed away in the hospital. An Uber transporting spectators to a World Cup match was one of the vehicles caught in the mayhem. A local manhunt had begun by the time evening gave way to night.
At least in part, the investigation proceeded quickly. A lead led detectives to a residence on Independence’s Brookside Avenue. The property was surrounded by police. Throughout the night, there was a standoff. A fire started inside the house at 12:44 in the morning; firefighters responded, put it out, and by Wednesday afternoon, investigators were still removing evidence bags from the building. Authorities are asking the public to come forward, but the suspect is still at large. Stacey Graves, the chief of police, stated that they were “hot on the trail” but refrained from providing further details.
It’s an odd experience to watch all of this take place in the context of the World Cup. Thousands of foreign fans are traveling through Kansas City, filling stadiums, staying in hotels, and riding rideshares. The city has made a lot of effort to present itself as a friendly and competent host. And by most accounts, it still is. FIFA officials and local police praised the arrest of one fan in Dallas. So far, the vast majority of the tournament has gone without a hitch.
However, the tension that lurks beneath the surface is difficult to ignore. A case of pilfered equipment is still being untangled. Days after the shootings, a gunman was still being sought. Yes, the city is continuing, but it is doing so under a burden that no one had anticipated when the welcome signs and flags were raised.
The world continues to be hosted in Kansas City. It’s simply enduring a series of nights that proved to be much longer than anticipated.
