Seattle police continued their search for a second suspect on Monday following a tragic shooting at a busy food festival under the Space Needle. The incident resulted in three fatalities and four injuries, including a young child. An earlier arrest had been made in connection with the event.
Authorities suspect that the two individuals exchanged gunfire during the festival on Sunday. Although one suspect remains unidentified and at large, Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis assured the public that there is no immediate danger.
Details about the suspect still at large were scarce, as Davis noted, “We’re still trying to figure this out.” Police were not immediately available to provide further comments on Monday morning.
The victims included two men, aged 19 and 44, and a 56-year-old woman. They were pronounced dead either at the scene or in a hospital. The wounded, among them a 2-year-old boy, were reported in stable condition and are being treated at local hospitals. It remains unclear if any of those injured were directly involved in the exchange of gunfire.
The chaos began around 6 p.m. Sunday, during the concluding hours of the annual Bite of Seattle. This event involves numerous food and retail vendors alongside performance acts, drawing large crowds. Despite the presence of numerous officers at the scene, only one suspect was apprehended immediately. The other suspect managed to escape and had not been located by authorities as of Monday.
Emergency teams responded quickly, working to evacuate the Seattle Center grounds. Faith Adia Hunter, an attendee, recounted the terror as she and her friends sought shelter after hearing shots near a crepe stand. Many vendors abandoned their setups in their dash to safety, awaiting clearance to retrieve their belongings hours later.
“We were right next to him when it started so we took off running,” Hunter stated. “So we took off running too into the building with the crowd.”
Roberto Ramirez, present as a vendor, described confusion and fright among attendees who initially mistook the shots for firecrackers until cries of “shooter” filled the air.
Estan Wakonabo, attending the festival with his girlfriend, witnessed the pandemonium unfold as people rushed to escape. He later revisited the scene to capture photographs and observed numerous victims.
Since its inception in 1982, the Bite of Seattle has attracted approximately 350,000 participants annually.
Additional reporting by Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes and Lindsey Wasson in Seattle, Annika Wolters in Bangkok, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles.