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Man Falsely Identified As Chiefs Parade Shooter Found Dead

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Apr 13, 2025 11:49 AM ET

A man falsely identified as a shooter at a 2024 parade celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl championship died.

Denton Loudermill Jr. was briefly handcuffed after the Feb. 14, 2024, shooting outside Union Station, which left a local DJ dead and more than 20 attendees injured. Police claimed he exited the crime scene "too slow" but let him go without pressing any charges. However, Republican politicians baselessly accused Loudermill of perpetuating the shooting when posting photos of the detainment on social media.

Loudermill's attorney, LaRonna Lassiter Saunders, confirmed Friday that he passed away at age 49. No cause of death was provided.

"More details will be provided in time, but for now, we ask that you honor the family’s need for privacy as they come together to grieve this tremendous loss," Lassiter Saunders wrote on Facebook, via the Associated Press.

Loudermill filed lawsuits against three Missouri state senators and a Tennessee congressman for connecting him to the shooting. The posts falsely labeled Loudermill, who was born and raised in the United States, an "illegal alien" and "shooter."

Loudermill's legal filing said he worked at a car wash and was a "contributing member of his African-American family, a family with deep and long roots in his Kansas community."

The lawsuits were dropped because of disputes of jurisdiction. Loudermill, who was from Olathe, Kansas, filed in Kansas federal court rather than Missouri and Tennessee.

Lassiter Saunders said she will keep seeking legal recourse to clear Loudermill's name.

"While the family takes this time to mourn, we want to make it clear that this is not over," Lassiter Saunders wrote. "Mr. Loudermill should not have spent his final days burdened with stress and chasing down a lie that went viral due to the careless and heartless actions of a Congressman, Missouri senators, and social media influencers, who couldn't be bothered to verify the truth before destroying a man's life. If you thought we were determined before, you haven’t seen anything yet."

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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