A gunman opened fire at the Bite of Seattle food festival near the city's iconic Space Needle, killing three people and wounding five others. The attack began around 3:30am UK time on Monday morning.
Victims and injuries
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, the BBC reported. Five others were injured, including a 56-year-old woman who is in hospital in a serious condition. Three people were hospitalised in a stable condition: a two-year-old boy, a 39-year-old woman, and a 23-year-old man. A fifth person, a 40-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries but declined transport to hospital, fire chiefs said.
Shortly after 7am UK time, Seattle Police said a third person had died from their injuries. Assistant Chief of Police Tyrone Davis confirmed the victim had been taken to hospital. Their identity has not been disclosed.
Suspects and investigation
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced shortly before 6am UK time that one suspect had been detained. About 90 minutes later, police confirmed they had launched a search for a second suspect. The identities of the suspects have not been disclosed.
Mayor Wilson said in a statement: "Impacted families are living through the worst moment of their lives, and an entire community is trying to understand how a gathering built around culture, connection, and joy ended in gunfire." She added: "Tonight, our attention belongs to the people whose lives were taken, those fighting to recover, and the families beside them. Seattle grieves with you, and we will stand with you in the difficult days ahead."
Official response
Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said on X: "We are monitoring closely information from the shooting that took place at the Seattle Center this evening. We are in close touch with Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Governor Bob Ferguson, and coordinating across multiple levels of government to get updates on the situation. We are grateful to law enforcement at Seattle Police Department and first responders who are at the scene and working hard. Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this senseless violence. We ask that the public please stay away from the Seattle Center as there is still an active investigation happening at this time. We will provide updates as we have additional information."
