A shooting between two individuals at the Bite of Seattle food festival near the Space Needle on Sunday evening killed three people and injured four others, including a two-year-old child, local authorities said.
Law enforcement officers arrested one suspect at the scene, while a second suspect fled and remains at large.
Police reported that officers providing security witnessed one suspect open fire around 6 p. m.
during the final hours of the three-day event.
Authorities believe the two suspects were exchanging gunfire with each other.
Officials stated there is no active danger to the community despite one shooter still being at large, though no physical description of the fleeing suspect was immediately available.
“We’re still trying to figure this out,” said Tyrone Davis, Assistant Seattle Police Chief.
Emergency responders pronounced two victims dead at the scene, while a third victim died after being transported to a medical facility.
Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Grace Nuñez reported that the four surviving victims, including the toddler, were hospitalized in stable condition.
The violence prompted emergency crews to evacuate the Seattle Center grounds as panicked crowds sought safety in nearby structures, including the Seattle Children’s Museum.
“We were right next to him when it started so we took off running,” said Faith Adia Hunter, a festival attendee.
She described fleeing into a building alongside a crowd after hearing gunshots near a food stand.
The chaotic scene caused vendors to abandon their booths as people rushed toward exits. Incoming visitors were turned away by law enforcement following the evacuation.
“Suddenly everything was empty,” said Roberto Ramirez, a festival vendor. Ramirez initially mistook the gunfire for pyrotechnics before bystanders warned of an active shooter.
“People were freaked out,” he said.
Other witnesses described crowds dropping to the ground and pushing through exit areas.
“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” said Estan Wakonabo, another attendee.
“Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” Wakonabo said.
The Bite of Seattle, established in 1982, typically attracts roughly 350,000 attendees over its three-day run.
