3 Dead, Several Injured in Shooting at Seattle Food Festival
Three people are dead and at least four others injured, including a toddler, after gunfire broke out at the Bite of Seattle food festival Sunday evening, in what police believe was a shootout between two gunmen.
Authorities responded to the Seattle Center around 6 p.m. after reports of shots fired at the annual festival, a free event that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and was hosting food vendors and live music at the time. Witnesses described hearing six or seven gunshots before a crowd began running for safety, with attendees reportedly knocking down a fence in an effort to flee the scene.
Police said the victims killed were a 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman. Four other people were injured, including a 2-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman, all of whom were transported to Harborview Medical Center and are listed in stable or satisfactory condition. A 40-year-old woman with minor injuries declined transport to the hospital at the scene, according to fire officials. A separate victim later arrived at University of Washington Medical Center with a gunshot wound and has also been stabilized.
Two Shooters, One in Custody
Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis said investigators believe two people were shooting at each other during the incident. One suspect, described only as "a young person," was taken into custody and is being questioned. Police are still searching for a second person believed to be involved. Multiple agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Seattle field office have also responded to assist with the investigation.
City Leaders React
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson addressed the shooting in a statement. "What happened at the Seattle Center today was an act of horrific violence," Wilson said. "Impacted families are living through the worst moment of their lives, and an entire community is trying to understand how a gathering built around culture, connection and joy ended in gunfire." She added, "No one should have to weigh the risk of being shot before attending an event, gathering with friends, or experiencing their city."
Witness Justice Beitzel, who was at the festival with friends when the shooting began, described the chaos that followed. "There were about six or seven, multiple gunshots," Beitzel told CNN. "All of a sudden, I just saw people running towards us."
The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not yet released further details about a motive or the identities of those involved in the shooting.
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