Bullets that killed two at Seattle food festival do not match teen shooter’s gun, police say

Bullets that fatally struck two bystanders during a shootout at a Seattle food festival last weekend do not appear to have come from the gun a 15-year-old arrested at the scene was firing, police said in court documents filed Wednesday.

The teen allegedly sprayed an untraceable “ghost gun” into a crowd. However, preliminary ballistics testing did not match the bullets recovered from the deceased bystanders to that weapon. Police have linked the shooting to gang violence, and shell casings found at the scene indicate four weapons were fired.

"We have small groups that appear to be at odds with each other, and in our city 0.01% of the population is connected to 52% of our shootings," Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a news conference Monday. A 19-year-old suspect was shot and killed at the scene. Police are still trying to identify at least one other person involved.

In the crossfire, at least four other bystanders were wounded, including a two-year-old boy. Videos posted to social media showed a chaotic scene with people running for safety as shots were heard.

The King County Prosecutor's Office has charged the 15-year-old with first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement and unlawful possession of a handgun by someone under 18. Prosecutors are seeking to move his case to adult court, where a conviction could result in an eight-to-10-year prison sentence, plus an additional five years for the firearm enhancement.

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We have small groups that appear to be at odds with each other, and in our city 0.01% of the population is connected to 52% of our shootings.