Seattle food festival shooting leaves 3 dead, 15-year-old arrested

Gunfire between two suspected shooters turned Seattle's Bite of Seattle into a deadly crime scene. The violence has left a teenager in custody, another suspect missing and the city mourning.

In Short

• The arrested teenager was due in juvenile court on Monday afternoon
• Police said one gunman fled after the suspects allegedly exchanged fire
• Four injured victims included a two-year-old boy in satisfactory condition

A 15-year-old suspect has been arrested after a shooting at a food festival near Seattle's Space Needle killed three people and injured at least four others, the city's mayor said on Monday. The teenager was being held in juvenile detention for investigation of firearms violations and first-degree assault, and was due to appear in court on Monday afternoon.

Authorities are still looking for a second suspect. Investigators believe the two suspects were shooting at each other, and Seattle Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis said on Sunday night that there was no ongoing threat to the public, even though one suspect remained at large.

Mayor Katie Wilson said the arrested suspect was 15 years old. Davis said police did not have a description of the outstanding suspect. “We're still trying to figure this out,” he said.

Two people died at the scene and a third died at a hospital. The dead were identified as two men aged 19 and 44, and a 56-year-old woman. Four injured people, including a 2-year-old boy, were taken to hospital. The boy was in satisfactory condition on Monday, while the others — two men aged 23 and 27, and a 39-year-old woman — were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said. Davis said on Sunday night he could not say whether any of the victims were involved in the confrontation.

The gunfire broke out at about 6 pm on Sunday during the final hours of Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival. Davis said dozens of officers were on security duty at the event and some saw one of the suspects firing. One suspect surrendered at the scene, while the other fled. A large number of police and emergency crews responded and began evacuating the area around the Seattle Center campus.

On Monday, vendors who had fled and left their food stalls behind were cleaning up. A candlelight vigil was planned for Monday night at the centre's International Fountain.

Faith Adia Hunter said she and her friends had just got food from a crepe vendor when the gunfire began. “We were about to start eating, then heard someone yell something, then we saw people start to run,” Hunter said. “So we took off running, too.” She added, “We were right next to him when it started, so we took off running.” Hunter said that in the scramble to find safety, she and others ran into the nearby Seattle Children's Museum.

Roberto Ramirez, a vendor at the event, said he first heard what sounded like firecrackers before people started shouting “shooter” and running in panic. “Suddenly everything was empty,” he said. “People were freaked out.” He said new guests continued to arrive after the first panic, unaware of what had happened, and police told them to leave.

Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and turned to see people rushing away. “People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said, adding that was when he heard gunshots. “Once I heard a pop, pop, pop, that's when I knew it was a shooter,” he said. He added that after escorting his girlfriend to safety, he returned and saw multiple victims on the ground.

The festival began in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees, according to its website. The shooting left three people dead, four injured and one suspect still on the run, while police continued their investigation and the city prepared for a vigil.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends