Three K!lled, Toddler Among Four !njured As Two Sh0oters Exchange Fir£ At U.S. Food Festival
Three Killed, Toddler Among Four Injured As Two Shooters Exchange Fire At U.S. Food Festival
The violence erupted during the Bite of Seattle food festival at Seattle Center at about 6 p.m. local time, sending festival-goers scrambling for safety after multiple gunshots rang out.
Ashooting at a popular food festival in downtown Seattle on Sunday left three people dead and four others injured, including a toddler, according to official reports.
The incident prompted a major police response and the arrest of one suspect while authorities continued searching for another person believed to have been involved in the shooting, according to Reuters.
The violence erupted during the Bite of Seattle food festival at Seattle Center at about 6 p.m. local time, sending festival-goers scrambling for safety after multiple gunshots rang out.
According to Seattle Police Department Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis, investigators believe the shooting resulted from an exchange of gunfire between two individuals.
“There were two people who we believe were shooting at each other,” Davis said during a late Sunday press briefing.
Davis added that detectives from the homicide and gun violence reduction units had been deployed to investigate the incident.
Police confirmed that one suspect, described only as a “young person,” had been taken into custody and was being questioned.
Authorities, however, declined to disclose the suspect’s identity or age and said officers were still searching for a second individual believed to have participated in the shooting.
Officials also said they had recovered two firearms from the scene, although investigations into the circumstances surrounding the attack remain ongoing.
The death toll rose to three after one of the victims initially hospitalised with critical injuries later died, Davis said. The remaining four victims, including the toddler, were reported to be in stable condition.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson condemned the attack, describing it as a devastating act of violence.
“What happened here today at the Seattle Center was an unbelievable tragedy, and a horrific act of violence,” Wilson reportedly said during the joint briefing.
Wilson expressed concern over what she described as a worsening pattern of gun-related incidents in the city.
“We have far too much gun violence in this city and in this country, and we’re coming off of a week in Seattle where we’ve had three major incidents of gun violence in just a few days,” the mayor added.
Authorities have not established a motive for the shooting, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Despite the ongoing search for the second suspect, Davis said investigators do not believe there is any immediate danger to the public.
“Right now, we believe that we have no outstanding threat to the community,” he said.
Witnesses quoted by local media said they heard several rounds of gunfire before officers, who were already in the vicinity, responded quickly and confronted one of the suspected shooters.
