What it could take for the two juveniles charged in Kansas City parade shooting to be charged as adults

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A lot of evidence will have to be processed to determine what it could take for the two juveniles charged in the Kansas City parade shooting to be charged as adults.

On Friday, police revealed two juveniles were charged with crimes connected to the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally.

Lisa Lopez-Galvan was killed in the shooting and 22 others were injured, more than half of those injured were children.

Defendants age 17 and under in Missouri are typically adjudicated through the juvenile system, which is far more private than the system for adults. Names of the accused are not released, nor are police documents such as probable cause statements.

In some cases that involve serious crimes, juveniles can be tried as adults, but former prosecutor Bill Tackett said it will require a significant investigation in this case.

"If they can tie one of the juveniles or both of them to the death of the woman and then multiple other victims, and there's any kind of problem in the past with these young people, then a certification would seem like it would be in order," Tackett said.

Tackett added that you have to look at the severity of the crime and determine how many people were involved. Investigators will need to find out who actually did the shooting, what bullet killed Lopez-Galvan and how many of the injured were critical to determine the level of culpability of these juveniles.

Prosecutors in cases dealing with juveniles can not certify people under the age of 18 as adults on their own.

"They make a decision as to whether to do that. Then they go in front of a judge to do the actual certification, and then a judge approves what the prosecutor is recommending," said Tackett.

Federal law prohibits the death penalty for anyone under age 18 at the time of the crime.