Seattle food festival shooting kills 3, injures 4; police seek second suspect

A shooting at Seattle's popular Bite of Seattle food festival left three people dead and four others wounded, including a 2-year-old boy. The violence erupted Sunday evening near the Space Needle as the annual three-day event was winding down.

“

We're still trying to figure this out.

Police have arrested one suspect and are searching for a second, whom they believe was exchanging gunfire with the arrested individual. Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis assured the public that there is no ongoing threat, despite the search for the outstanding suspect. The victims included two men, aged 19 and 44, and a 56-year-old woman. The four injured individuals were hospitalized in stable condition.

“

We were right next to him when it started so we took off running.

Dozens of officers were present for security at the festival, and some witnessed one of the suspects firing. The gunfire caused immediate panic, with attendees fleeing the scene and vendors abandoning their stalls. Many were left outside the police tape for hours, awaiting access to their belongings.

“

Suddenly everything was empty. People were freaked out.

Witnesses described hearing what sounded like firecrackers before realizing a shooter was present. The chaos led to people pushing and falling, with baby strollers overturned, as they scrambled for safety. New attendees arriving unaware of the incident were turned away by police.

“

People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling. Once I heard a 'pop, pop, pop,' that's when I knew it was a shooter.