Nine people have been injured in a shooting less than five miles from England's World Cup base camp in Kansas City, Missouri — an incident that unfolded early on Saturday morning while the team was in Florida preparing for the tournament.
Police were called to 79th Street and Troost Avenue at around 4am local time (10am BST) following reports of shots being fired. Officers arrived to find a large crowd dispersing, said Kansas City Police Department Captain Jake Becchina. Three women were taken to hospital, while six other adults attended local hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
“Nine injured in shooting near England's World Cup base in Kansas City; team was in Florida.”
No arrests have been made and investigations continue. At the time, England's players and staff were based in Palm Beach, Florida, completing their preparations. The team is scheduled to travel to its Kansas City base on Saturday and will kick off its World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 17, before facing Ghana and Panama in Group L.
Kansas City Police Department Officer Alayna Gonzalez stressed that the incident "did not occur near a World Cup venue or anything else World Cup-related", including England's base camp at Swope Soccer Village.