KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former Kansas men's basketball forward Jalen Wilson's mom invited a 10-year-old Chiefs rally shooting victim and his family to Allen Fieldhouse for the conference game against Texas Saturday.
Samuel Arellano was among the more than two dozen victims injured in a mass shooting at the conclusion of the Chiefs Super Bowl celebrations outside Union Station on Feb. 14. Samuel was struck by gunfire, with the bullet missing his lungs by just inches.
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"I'm feeling much better; my wound is healing really fast," Samuel said Saturday.
In his initial interview with KSHB 41 News, Samuel described the moment the shooting broke out.
"We're walking, and then we see people fighting, and then they pull out a gun and start shooting," Samuel Arellano told KSHB 41 News a day after the shooting. "One of them hit me while I tried to face toward my grandpa and my uncle and my cousin."
Samuel was sporting a Jalen Wilson T-shirt in his first interview with KSHB 41 News, which prompted Lisa Wilson, the mother of Jalen Wilson, to reach out to the Arellano family. Once in touch with the family, Lisa Wilson invited them to Allen Fieldhouse to see the Jayhawks take on the Longhorns; Samuel got to see Kansas defeat Texas 86-67 for his first KU basketball game.
"Well, I'm really excited, 'cause I'm gonna be in front of all those people and meet players," Samuel said outside Allen Fieldhouse before the game. "It's gonna be fun."
The Arellano family had a close view of the Kansas win, sitting alongside Lisa Wilson just a few rows back from the Jayhawks' bench. During halftime, a video message from Jalen Wilson — who now plays for the Brooklyn Nets — to Samuel played on the jumbotron and the Allen Fieldhouse crowd gave Samuel a standing ovation.
Tonight, we welcomed a brave young fan to Allen Fieldhouse with the help of Jayhawk great @thejalenwilson 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rCcLK9Tlko
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) February 25, 2024
After the game, Samuel got to meet players in the locker room.
"Bro, you did good out there," Samuel said to Kansas star and point guard Dajuan Harris as they shook hands.
About a week and a half after the shooting, Samuel had this message to share with the city:
"Stay strong, stay strong Kansas City," he said Saturday.
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