Bullets that flew in Kansas City didn't care what side you line up on when it comes to gun control

Minutes after the mass shooting at the Kansas City post-Super Bowl parade, in which one person was killed and at least 22 hospitalized, K.C. offensive lineman Trey Smith spotted a frightened young boy, cowering in the crowd alongside his family.

Smith, who makes his living protecting superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, couldn't rewind time to prevent the gunfire, or shield the young football fan from the spasm of violence that had marred his team's championship celebration, but he could do something. So he approached the boy and gifted him the replica WWE championship belt Smith had brandished during the 3.2-kilometre parade, which ended at Union Station, mere metres from where the bullets flew.

"I was just thinking, 'What can I do to help him out?'" Smith told ABC's Good Morning America. "I just handed him the belt. 'Hey, buddy, you're the champion. No one's going to hurt you, man. We've got your back.'"

If you can squint, you can see the silver lining — another example of the power of sport. Connecting a terrified child with one of his heroes. The star athlete soothing the boy's justifiably rattled nerves. Smith demonstrating that when tragedy strikes, each of us is equipped to help somehow, some way.

The timing also mattered.

After a tragedy like this, we're eager to hear stories that highlight empathy and optimism, and reassure us that life, especially with the help of our favourite athletes, will return to normal soon.

The problem, of course, is that mass shootings are themselves becoming normal — 49 in the U.S. in the first six weeks of the year — and the stages of post-shooting reaction have become predictable: social media hashtags celebrating the strength of the community where the shooting happened; thoughts