Seattle food festival shooting leaves three dead, police say
Police say three people were killed and four wounded at the Bite of Seattle, with one suspect in custody and another still sought.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
A Seattle food festival shooting killed three people and wounded four others on Sunday, including a two-year-old boy, according to city police. Police said they believe the gunfire at the Bite of Seattle involved two suspects, one of whom surrendered while the other fled.
The shooting happened at Seattle Center, near the Space Needle, during a crowded food festival. Police said there was no continuing threat to the public, though Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis said officers did not yet have a description of the suspect who remained at large.
What happened at the Seattle food festival?
Gunfire was reported at about 6pm local time on Sunday, or 01:00 GMT on Monday, at the Bite of Seattle, police said. The event was taking place beneath the Space Needle, one of the city’s best-known landmarks.
Authorities said three people were killed: two men, ages 19 and 44, and a 56-year-old woman. Four others were taken to hospital, including the toddler, and police said the wounded were in stable condition.
Davis told reporters on Sunday night that investigators were still working to determine what led to the shooting. “We’re still trying to figure this out,” he said at a news conference.
Police described the person in custody only as a “young person” and did not provide further details. They said the second suspect ran from the scene.
Officials say one suspect is still being sought
Davis said police did not believe there was an ongoing public threat after the shooting. He also said officers could not yet give the public a description of the suspect who had not been arrested.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson called the violence at Seattle Center a tragedy during the same news conference. “What happened here today at the Seattle Center was an unbelievable tragedy and a horrific act of violence,” Wilson said.
Wilson said Seattle had seen several serious shootings in a short span. “We have far too much gun violence in this city and in this country, and we’re coming off of a week in Seattle where we’ve had three major incidents of gun violence in just a few days,” she said.
The Bite of Seattle is a food festival held at Seattle Center, the civic and entertainment area that includes the Space Needle. The shooting sent crowds running from the area as gunshots rang out.
A vendor who was livestreaming a promotional video inadvertently recorded the moments after the shooting began, according to reporting by Al Jazeera, The Associated Press and Reuters. The footage showed people fleeing as the sound of gunfire could be heard.
Police had not released further information on a motive, the weapons involved or the identity of the suspect still being sought. Officials also had not named the people killed.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.