Police arrest 1 person and search for another after Seattle festival
shooting that killed 3
[July 27, 2026]
By GENE JOHNSON
SEATTLE (AP) — Police arrested one suspect and were looking for another
after gunfire erupted at a crowded food festival beneath Seattle's Space
Needle, leaving three people dead and four others injured, including a
toddler.
Investigators believe the two suspects were shooting at each other and,
although one remained on the loose, Assistant Seattle Police Chief
Tyrone Davis told a news conference Sunday night that there was no
ongoing threat to the public.
Police did not have a description of the outstanding suspect, he said.
“We’re still trying to figure this out,” Davis said.
Two people died at the scene and a third died at a hospital. The four
wounded, including a 2-year-old boy, were hospitalized and in stable
condition, said Grace Nuñez, spokesperson for the Seattle Fire
Department. The rest of the injured were adults. Davis couldn't say if
any of the victims were involved in the confrontation.
The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. in the waning hours of the Bite of
Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and
retail vendors and performers.
Dozens of officers were providing security at the event and some saw one
of the suspects firing, Davis said. One suspect surrendered at the
scene, but the other fled. Law enforcement searched the grounds to no
avail.
A large number of police and emergency crews responded and began
evacuating the area around the sprawling Seattle Center campus.
Faith Adia Hunter said she and her friends had just gotten food from a
crepe vendor when gunfire broke out. She realized a shooter was near
them. She and others found 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 chaos, many vendors bolted toward the exits, abandoning their
food stands. Hours afterward, some milled outside the police tape,
wondering when they would be allowed to return to collect their tents,
food and cooking gear.
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A police officer stands at a closed off area after a shooting at
Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival Sunday, July
26, 2026, in Seattle, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Roberto Ramirez, a vendor at the event, said he heard what sounded
like firecrackers before people began yelling “shooter” and
frantically running.
“Suddenly everything was empty,” he said. “People were freaked out.”
After the initial panic, new guests continued to arrive unaware of
what had happened and were told by police to leave, he said.
Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were at the festival
waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and
he turned to see a rush of people fleeing.
“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.
After he escorted his girlfriend to safety, he returned to the scene
to make photos and saw multiple victims on the ground, Wakonabo
said.
The annual festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees over
“three days of food, drink, and community celebration,” according to
its website.
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Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes and Lindsey Wasson in
Seattle, Annika Wolters in Bangkok and Christopher Weber in Los
Angeles contributed to this report.
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