Clyde Edwards-Helaire receives heroism award for protecting teen during Kansas City parade shooting

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is being recognized for protecting a teen during the mass shooting at the Chiefs Super Bowl parade in Kansas City, Missouri.

Edwards-Helaire is being honored with the Heroism Award from The Uvalde Foundation for Kids after he shielded 13-year-old Zach Cotten during the shooting.

“Zach Cotten made it home safe,” Penny Hall Cotten said on social media. “Huge thank you to Clyde Edwards #25 for sheltering and getting my child to safety. Clyde even went back to check on Zach to make sure he was still doing OK.”

On Friday morning, Taylor Swift made two separate $50,000 donations to the fundraiser. (Source: KCTV)

Edwards-Helaire said Zach was brave.

“Hey Mrs. Penny, Zach was brave for sure!! Sorry the family and all of ChiefsKingdom had to experience this. Just wanted to thank Zach for trusting me and knowing I’ll protect him,” he said on Facebook.

Zach wants everyone to see how “good of a person” Edwards-Helaire is.

“It was really special because Clyde helped me. He’s a really good person. Everyone should see how good of a person he is,” he said.

Zach’s dad Chris Cotten is thankful that Edwards-Helaire stepped in to help protect his family.

“You can be an athlete only for so long, but you can be a great human being for the rest of your life. What he did was truly exceptional and he’s a great man.” Chris Cotten said. “We’re certainly appreciative as a family what he did for Zach. There were 23 other families impacted in a negative way by this event. Their families are never going to be the same. Our ending turned out great and we’re very thankful for that.”

Lisa Lopez, a mother and popular radio DJ, was shot and killed in the shooting and 22 other people were injured, including children.

Lyndell Mays and Dominic Miller have been charged with second-degree murder among other charges related to the shooting. Two juveniles were also detained last week on gun-related and resisting arrest charges.

According to authorities, the shooting began when two groups of people grew agitated over the belief that people in the other group were staring at them.

Edwards-Helaire is a two-time Super Bowl-winning running back with the Chiefs and was a member of LSU’s 2019 National Championship team.

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