Wichita man pleads guilty to illegal gun possession at Chiefs Super Bowl rally shooting

A 36-year-old Wichita man has pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm when he allegedly picked up a handgun following the Feb. 14 mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally.

A judge last week ordered Jose L. Castillo to be sentenced to three years of probation for the offense, according to court records filed Oct. 11 in Division 4 of Jackson County Circuit Court.

Castillo is not allowed to be in the presence of or posses firearms or ammunition, the judge ordered. He must complete 40 hours of community service or have full-time employment, and submit to random urinalysis, a court order states.

Castillo was previously convicted of a felony on July 6, 2016, for conspiracy to distribute marijuana in U.S. District Court in Kansas, according to court documents. In Missouri, it’s illegal for a person convicted of a felony to possess a firearm.

The unlawful possession charge stems from the mass shooting in February that killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan , a 43-year-old Johnson County mother of two, and wounded 22 others outside of Union Station.

According to court documents, officers responded to the shooting around 1:50 p.m. on the west side of Union Station near West Pershing and Kessler roads. A witness told police he heard gunshots and then saw two males fighting.

One of the men dropped a handgun on the ground during the fight. Castillo then picked up the firearm and walked away, the witness told officers. The witness then pointed out Castillo to officers.

Officers confronted Castillo and ordered him to get on the ground. While getting down, Castillo allegedly removed a black Glock 22 handgun and threw it on the ground, according to court documents. He was then taken into custody.

In an affidavit filed in Jackson County Circuit Court, Castillo forfeited the Glock 22 handgun, which was seized by KCPD.

When officers interviewed Castillo. he stated he was in Kansas City for the parade and rally with friends. Shortly before the shooting, he went to use the restroom and heard what he believed were fireworks. He then saw others running from the area, he allegedly told officers.

Castillo then started to walk away, but decided to head back toward the restroom and saw a black handgun laying on the ground. He said he thought the firearm might have belonged to an officer, court records said. He allegedly said he picked it up and was going to give it to an officer but was taken into custody shortly after.

A trial and hearing was canceled on Oct. 9. Castillo pleaded guilty Oct. 11 and released $2,500 in bond money to his attorney, court records show.

Previous reporting by the Star’s Robert Cronkleton contributed to this story.