The Seattle festival shooting left three people dead and several others injured after gunfire erupted near the city’s Space Needle on Sunday evening.
According to BBC, police believe two suspects exchanged gunfire at about 6 p.m. during the final day of the annual Bite of Seattle food festival. Officers arrested one suspect, while the second remained at large.
Authorities said there was no continuing threat to the public, but they urged people to avoid the area while investigators searched for evidence.
Two victims died at the scene, while a third person later died in hospital. Police identified them as a 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman.
Several people also sustained injuries, including a two-year-old boy. The fire department said four injured people were taken to hospital in stable condition, while another declined treatment.
Panic spreads through festival grounds
The shooting occurred as thousands of visitors gathered around Seattle Center for the popular three-day food festival.
Bite of Seattle attracts about 350,000 people each year and features food vendors, entertainment and cultural activities near the Space Needle.
Witnesses said several gunshots rang out before crowds began running towards nearby buildings and other places of safety.
Videos shared online showed people crouching behind pillars and merchandise displays inside the Space Needle lobby as the shooting unfolded.
Nick Bate told a local television station that he initially thought the sound came from fireworks. However, the reaction of the crowd quickly made it clear that something more serious was happening.
“At first, I thought there were fireworks, and then everybody flooded and ran past us,” he said.
Another witness, Leanne Coles, said she used the Space Needle as a landmark while trying to escape with the crowd.
“Everybody started running, and so we just ran too,” she said. “We ran through the garden and decided to keep running with the crowd.”
Faith Adia Hunter told the Associated Press that one of the shooters was close to her group when the gunfire began.
She said they fled into the Seattle Children’s Museum alongside other festival visitors seeking shelter.
Police recover two guns
Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis said officers were questioning a young person taken into custody after the Seattle festival shooting.
Investigators also recovered two firearms from the scene. Police continued searching for the second suspect and working to determine what caused the confrontation.
Mayor Katie Wilson initially announced that officers had arrested two suspects. She later corrected the statement and confirmed that only one person was in custody.
Wilson thanked the officers who responded quickly and described the incident as an act of horrific violence.
“Impacted families are living through the worst moment of their lives,” she said.
She added that the wider community was struggling to understand how an event built around culture, connection and joy ended in gunfire.
Leaders condemn ‘senseless violence’
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson expressed sympathy for the victims and thanked emergency personnel for their response.
“My prayers are with the families of the victims, and the responders as they work to keep people safe,” he said.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who represents Seattle, also condemned the attack and said officials were coordinating across different levels of government.
“Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this senseless violence,” she said.
Wilson said Seattle would support those affected as families mourned the victims and the injured continued their recovery.
“Tonight, our attention belongs to the people whose lives were taken, those fighting to recover, and the families beside them,” she said.
Police said the investigation remained active and asked anyone with useful information or footage from the festival to contact investigators.
