Seattle food festival shooting leaves three dead, toddler among injured

Seattle,UPDATED: Jul 27, 2026 13:26 IST

Three people were killed and four others, including a two-year-old boy, were injured after gunfire broke out at a crowded food festival in Seattle on Sunday evening. Police said one suspect had been arrested and another was being sought after investigators concluded that the two suspects were shooting at each other.

Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis said there was no ongoing threat to the public, even though one suspect was still on the run. He said police did not have a description of the person being sought. “We’re still trying to figure this out,” Davis said.

According to Grace Nunez, a spokesperson for the Seattle Fire Department, two people died at the scene and a third died at a hospital. The four injured people were admitted to hospital and were in stable condition. The injured included a two-year-old boy, while the others were adults. Davis said he could not say whether any of the victims were involved in the confrontation.

The shooting happened at about 6 pm during the final hours of Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that features hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers. 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. Police later searched the festival grounds but did not find the second suspect. A large police and emergency response followed, and authorities began evacuating the area around the Seattle Center campus.

Faith Adia Hunter said she and her friends had just bought food from a crepe vendor when the gunfire began and she realised the shooter was close to them. She and others took shelter in the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum. “We were right next to him when it started so we took off running,” Hunter said. “So we took off running too into the building with the crowd.”

In the confusion, many vendors ran towards the exits and left their food stands behind. Hours later, some remained outside the police tape, waiting to learn when they could return for their tents, food and cooking equipment. Roberto Ramirez, a vendor at the festival, said he first heard sounds like firecrackers before people began shouting “shooter” and running in panic. “Suddenly everything was empty,” he said. “People were freaked out.” He added that after the first rush of panic, new visitors kept arriving without knowing what had happened and were told by police to leave.

Another attendee, Estan Wakonabo, said he and his girlfriend were in a queue for a photo booth when he was pushed from behind and turned to see people running. “People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said, adding that he then heard gunshots. “Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” he said. After taking his girlfriend to safety, he returned and saw several victims on the ground, he said.

The annual festival began in 1982 and, according to its website, draws 350,000 attendees over three days. The shooting brought the event to an abrupt halt, leaving three dead, four injured, one suspect in custody and another still being sought.

With PTI Inputs

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