Chiefs parade day shooting victim looking for help after being struck by stray bullet

By Andy Alcock

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — A metro man and his family are struggling after he was struck in the leg by a stray bullet at the Chiefs Parade last month.

James Lemons attended the event with his wife Brandie, 17-year-old daughter Kallie, 10-year-old son Jackson, and 5-year-old daughter Kensley.

James says he was carrying Kensley on his shoulders when he heard gunfire.

“I was walking through trying to run through with her on my shoulders. I

got hit in my leg and I fell with her and had to catch her face to make sure her face didn’t hit the concrete,” James said.

James says Jackson was also trampled but didn’t get hurt.

Despite his injury, James escorted his family to safety before going to the hospital for help.

When he arrived, doctors said the bullet stuck in his muscles very close to hitting his femoral artery, which could’ve put his life in danger.

“I got pretty lucky. They’re glad it stopped bleeding. I was super lucky,” James said.

Fast forward more than a month, and James has been unable to work at his warehouse job.

Because he hasn’t been employed in that position for a year, James says he’s not eligible for short-term disability.

He also says he doesn’t have insurance to pay for the surgery he needs to remove the bullet still lodged in his leg.

“I love my city, and I love my team, but there’s people hurting like real families. This is not play,” James said.

The Lemons Family recently had to move after their landlord sold the rental property where the family was living.

There were also some major car repairs.

James says he and his wife have borrowed money from family and friends, and Brandie set up a GoFundMe page, which has raised just under $1200.

But James says it’s not nearly enough money to support his family and get the necessary care for his children traumatized by the shooting.

“We’ve been struggling to find out ways to deal with the mental problems that my daughter goes through and figuring out financially how to deal with the money and everything else,” he said.

The Lemons have also applied to get help from the KC Strong fund.

Donors have given about $1.5 million to help shooting victims.

However, the United Way of Greater Kansas City is still in the process of verifying victims through the Jackson County Attorney’s Office before giving out the money.

“There is certainly a desire to do whatever we can to help those who were directly affected in terms of victims who were either shot, trampled upon, had other types of physical injuries that they sustained as a result of this,” said Kera Mashek, United Way spokeswoman. “But we also have to be very diligent in making sure that no individuals who were involved in perpetrating this crime are a recipient of funds.”

Mashek says a United Way board meeting scheduled for Thursday will help determine the parameters for funding victims.

She says the first priority is paying victims’ medical costs.

Mashek also says the United Way will likely start giving out the KC Strong funds within the next month.

She says victims needing immediate help can reach out by calling the United Way at 211 for a variety of programs like help with rent and utilities.

“They told me that it would be a process that we have to go through, that it’s like a checklist,” James Lemons said about his KC Strong application.

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