A gunman opened fire Sunday evening at the Bite of Seattle food festival, killing two people and wounding at least five others, including a 2-year-old child, in one of the city's most recognisable public spaces. The shooting took place at Seattle Center, the events complex that sits at the base of the iconic Space Needle observation tower in the northwestern US city. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson confirmed that at least one suspect was taken into custody following the incident, though authorities initially indicated uncertainty about whether more than one shooter may have been involved.
The attack unfolded around 6:00 p.m. local time, sending crowds into immediate panic. Eyewitness Estan Wakonabo, who was waiting in line at a photo booth with his girlfriend, described being shoved from behind before seeing a wave of people fleeing. "People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling," he said. "Once I heard a 'pop, pop, pop,' that's when I knew it was a shooter." A vendor who had been livestreaming from the festival captured the moment the shots rang out, with the footage showing the sudden chaos that followed. A reporter from the Seattle Times also described hearing several loud pops and what sounded like very rapid gunfire.
Harborview Medical Center, a major trauma facility in the city, received four patients: a toddler, a 23-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman, and a woman of unknown age who was taken into surgery. A 40-year-old woman and a 56-year-old woman, the latter in critical condition, were also among the wounded. The two fatalities had not been publicly identified as of initial reports. Police urged people to avoid the area, and the festival grounds were evacuated. No motive had been announced.
The Bite of Seattle, which has been held annually since 1982, is one of the city's largest summer events, celebrating local food vendors and businesses and typically drawing around 350,000 visitors across its three-day run. The shooting at such a crowded, family-oriented public event underscores the persistent vulnerability of large outdoor gatherings in the United States. Authorities said an investigation was ongoing and further details about the suspect or suspects would be released by police.