this eventually led to gunfire. exactly what provoked the shooting remains unclear, but the most common explanation is that a drunkard stumbled into the path of lyon's marching soldiers and fired a pistol into their ranks, fatally wounding captain constantin blandowski of the 3rd missouri volunteer infantry. the volunteers, in reaction, fired over the heads of the crowd, and then into the crowd. some 28 civilians were killed, including women and children; more than 75 were wounded.