A shooting at a Seattle food festival near the Space Needle left three people dead and at least four wounded, including a toddler, police say.
Seattle, United States – Web Desk: A mass shooting near Seattle’s landmark Space Needle killed three people and wounded at least four others, including a toddler, police said on Sunday.
Seattle Police said one suspect had been arrested while officers searched for a second person following the shooting at a food festival in one of the city’s most popular tourist districts.
Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis said gunfire was reported around 6:00 pm local time, adding that investigators believe two people were shooting at each other, with two weapons recovered from the scene. He said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
Police said on social media earlier on Sunday that there were multiple shooting victims after shots were fired at Seattle Center, the venue hosting the “Bite of Seattle” food festival at the time. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said state SWAT officers had been deployed to support local police response, and offered condolences to victims’ families and first responders.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson described the shooting as an act of horrific violence, saying attention should remain with those who lost their lives, those recovering, and their families. She also thanked the police officers who responded and took a suspect into custody.
Four patients were being treated at the trauma centre at Harborview Medical Center, according to hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg, including a child, a woman undergoing surgery, and two adults in their twenties and thirties. Davis said those hospitalised were in stable condition.
Several witnesses described scenes of panic as gunfire broke out during the festival. One bystander told a local television station that he initially mistook the sound for fireworks before people began fleeing the area. Another witness recounted running without knowing where the shooter was, reacting instinctively to the sound of gunfire.
The shooting occurred during the annual “Bite of Seattle” festival, a summer event celebrating local restaurants and food vendors, drawing large crowds to the area around the Space Needle. An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
