A man from Kansas is taking legal action against Rep. Tim Burchett for making false claims on social media that he was involved in the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade.
The suitThe lawsuit, which was filed on Monday in federal court in Kansas, argues that Denton Loudermill Jr. suffered death threats and mental distress after Burchett posted a untrue representation of him on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Loudermill was among around 500,000 people who attended the Chiefs parade on Feb. 14 to celebrate the team’s recent Super Bowl victory. Near the end of the parade, a shooting occurred that resulted in one person dead and almost two dozen others wounded.
A day after the shooting, Burchett shared a photo of Loudermill seated on the curb in handcuffs, along with the caption, “One of the Kanas City Chiefs victory parade shooters has been identified as an illegal Alien,” according to the lawsuit.
Within three days, Burchett’s post gained 7.2 million views and was reposted 21,600 times, as stated by Loudermill’s attorneys. On Feb. 18, Burchett reposted his initial post, and clarified “It has come to my attention that in one of my previous posts. One of the shooters was identified as an illegal alien. This was based on multiple incorrect news reports stating that. I have since removed the post.”
Although he removed the initial post, Loudermill’s attorneys pointed out that Burchett’s repost still incorrectly identified their client as “one of the shooters.”
Loudermill’s legal team asserted that their client had no connection with those involved in the argument that led to the shooting. When the gunshots occurred, Loudermill hesitated while deciding what to do next. As he waited for his ride, he attempted to cross police tape, leading to officers briefly placing him in handcuffs while he sat on the curb, where the photo was taken.
Authorities later escorted him away from the area, removed the handcuffs and informed him that he was free to leave, according to the lawsuit. He was not charged or cited for any crime,
Loudermill’s attorneys argued that Burchett should have known that his provocative post on social media would be seen and read across the country, including in Kansas where Loudermill lives. They claimed that the lawmaker's actions caused the false representation to appear on numerous devices in Kansas, resulting in damage to Loudermill.
Loudermill was never an “alien,” an “illegal alien” nor a “shooter,” and Burchett's claims were not made in good faith, his attorneys contended.
The lawsuit alleges that Loudermill suffered damages exceeding $75,000. The Hill contacted Loudermill’s lawyers to inquire if they are seeking a specific amount in damages.
Two men — Lyndell Mays of Raytown, Mo. and Dominic Miller of Kansas City, Mo. — were charged last month with second-degree felony murder related to the shooting. Prosecutors said the two were not acquainted before the parade, and a dispute among multiple parade-goers sparked the incident.
Burchett’s office chose not to provide a comment on the lawsuit. He is one of several Republicans in recent months to advocate for stricter border security measures, claiming that migrants are bringing violent crime to the country.
Earlier this month, Republicans revived this argument after the death of a 22-year-old Georgia student — Laken Riley — who was reportedly killed by a 26-year-old Venezuelan citizen. U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement stated that the suspect, Jose Ibarra, entered the country illegally in September 2022 near El Paso, Texas, from Mexico and was released from detention for further processing.
