Shooting Near Seattle’s Space Needle Leaves Multiple Dead, Investigation Ongoing
Three people were killed and at least four others wounded Sunday evening when gunfire erupted at the Bite of Seattle food festival, held at Seattle Center in the shadow of the city’s Space Needle. The shooting sent festivalgoers running through the grounds of one of Seattle’s most-visited public spaces, and left law enforcement searching through the night for a second suspect.
What We Know
The gunfire broke out during the annual Bite of Seattle festival, which draws large crowds to the Seattle Center complex — the same grounds that hold the Space Needle and Climate Pledge Arena, home of the Seattle Kraken and Seattle Storm. Seattle Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis said at a late-night press conference that the incident appears to have involved two people exchanging gunfire with each other. Officers already working the event moved in and confronted one of the shooters — an intervention Davis credited with preventing further casualties. Two firearms were recovered at the scene. In total, seven people were shot.
“At first, [we] thought there were fireworks, and then everybody flooded and ran past us,” festival attendee Nick Bate told Seattle’s KIRO-TV.
Casualties
Early figures from Sunday night reported two to three fatalities and four to seven people wounded, depending on the source and hour of reporting — typical for a story this fresh, as agencies continue to reconcile numbers. Among the injured taken to Harborview Medical Center were a 56-year-old woman in serious condition and a two-year-old boy, listed in stable condition, along with other victims. One person with minor injuries reportedly declined transport to the hospital.
Law Enforcement Response
One suspect was taken into custody at the scene; a second was still being sought as of the most recent reporting, and it remains unclear whether that individual has since been located. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson confirmed the arrest. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent agents to assist, with the Seattle Police Department leading the investigation. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson dispatched Washington State Patrol SWAT officers to support the local response and said he was being briefed as the situation developed.
