Politixia
Three people are dead and four others hospitalized after gunfire erupted at a crowded food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle, sending thousands of families scrambling for cover on what was meant to be a celebratory summer evening.
According to the BBC, the shooting unfolded around 6pm local time Sunday at the Seattle Center, where the annual Bite of Seattle festival was drawing large crowds on its final day. Seattle Police assistant chief Tyrone Davis said officers already in the area responded immediately, confronting one shooter who “gave up and was taken into custody.” A second person believed to be involved fled the scene, prompting an ongoing manhunt.
Davis told reporters that investigators believe the two suspects had been shooting at each other, and that seven people in total suffered gunshot wounds, with officers performing CPR on several victims at the scene. Two people died on-site, while a third later succumbed to their injuries at Harborview Medical Center, per the BBC’s reporting. The suspect in custody was described only as a “young person.”
Among the four who remain hospitalized in stable condition is a two-year-old boy. The BBC noted that other victims included women aged 56, 39 and 23, and a 23-year-old man, with details on their connection to the incident still unclear.
Witnesses described scenes of panic. One vendor told local media he heard multiple gunshots “all at once” and watched parents grab their children and rush for the exits, describing the moment as “mayhem.” Videos captured crowds leaping over fences and taking shelter inside the Space Needle’s lobby, crouching behind pillars and merchandise shelves.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson condemned the bloodshed as “an unbelievable tragedy and a horrific act of violence,” noting it followed a week marked by “three major incidents of gun violence” in the city. She stressed that “far too much gun violence” plagues both Seattle and the country. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal also offered condolences, with Jayapal denouncing the “senseless violence.”
Bite of Seattle is an annual three-day, free event drawing upwards of 350,000 people to downtown Seattle over the course of the festival.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings