KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) – National headlines speculating about a spy balloon from China floating over the U.S. has everyone looking skyward.
On Friday, people in the Kansas City area believe they saw the same balloon.
WDAF-TV took multiple reports of a balloon flying in the sky.
The National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill said employees could see the large balloon on the horizon from the Pleasant Hill office. The weather service also confirmed it is not one of its weather balloons.
WDAF-TV contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FFA) about the balloon. The agency referred questions to the Department of Defense.
While federal agencies have not confirmed what the object is, Sen. Roger Marshall says what everyone is seeing is, in fact, the suspected spy balloon:
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly shared the following tweet Friday afternoon:
Meanwhile, both Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., are calling for the U.S. to shoot down the balloon:
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., also believes the U.S. needs to take action:
Nexstar’s The Hill reported Thursday that the Pentagon identified the aircraft as a “high altitude surveillance balloon” and said it would not shoot it down because falling debris would pose a risk to people on the ground.
China urged calm on Friday morning before denying those claims. In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was a civilian research ship studying weather that blew off course.
Beijing expressed regret that the aircraft had entered U.S. airspace, saying the government “has no intention of violating the territory and airspace of any sovereign country.”