A shootout that killed 3 at a food festival near Seattle's Space Needle
may have been gang-related
[July 28, 2026]
By GENE JOHNSON and HALLIE GOLDEN
SEATTLE (AP) — There were at least three suspects involved in a shootout
at a crowded food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle over the weekend,
police said Monday. One of them was among those killed in the violence.
In a document filed in juvenile court in Seattle, where a 15-year-old
arrested in the case waived his initial appearance Monday, police said
they believe there were at least three shooters: the 15-year-old, an
acquaintance who died at the scene and “at least one other unknown
suspect.” Authorities had earlier said they believed there were two.
Nicole Powell, the Seattle Police Department's assistant chief of
investigations, said at a news conference Monday afternoon that
investigators believe the shooting may have been gang-related, with two
groups firing at each other. The deceased shooter was 19.
A judge ordered the 15-year-old held in juvenile detention for
investigation of firearms violations and first-degree assault. The King
County prosecutor's office said it expected to receive the case from
Seattle police on Wednesday for a charging decision.
The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. Sunday in the waning hours of the Bite
of Seattle, leaving the 19-year-old shooter and two others dead. At
least four others, including a toddler, were injured. The annual
three-day festival draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and
performers to Seattle Center, a sprawling park in the shadow of the
Space Needle. Many attendees rushed into campus buildings or ran from
the park at the sound of the shots.
Officials provided confusing statements about the shooting
News that there were at least three suspects followed a series of
confusing statements from city officials concerning the shooting.
On Sunday, the police department waited five hours to share with the
public that one shooter had been arrested and that they believed another
to be on the loose. Earlier, Mayor Katie Wilson had announced two people
were in custody, a statement she retracted.
At a news conference before the court hearing Monday, Police Chief Shon
Barnes said investigators weren’t sure if the second shooter was among
the dead. Neither he nor the mayor made any reference to additional
shooters. Barnes had been out of town Sunday, attending a conference of
Black law enforcement executives in Dallas.
The officials defended their handling of the case, saying they were
trying to ensure they provided accurate information about chaotic
events.
The victims included a father of three
The King County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday identified the dead
as Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44; Ashley Whitehead, 56; and Junior
Cee Niko Semo, 19.
Villalba was a husband and father of three known for his kindness and
willingness to help others, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched
Monday to help his family with funeral expenses. He died from a gunshot
wound to his torso, while Whitehead died from a gunshot to her pelvis
and Semo died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical
examiner’s office.
Whitehead had just moved to Washington from Alabama a year ago and was
enjoying the festival with one of her adult daughters when she was shot,
her cousin Michelle Whitehead told The Associated Press. She was taken
to the hospital and died in surgery, she said.
Ashley Whitehead adored her two adult daughters, and also loved nature
and arts and crafts, her cousin said.
“I would consider her just a free spirit. She had the best sense of
humor, the best gorgeous smile," she said.
During a vigil Monday night at the center, Michelle Whitehead stood
among dozens of others with a sign that said “Whitehead Strong" as the
group held a moment of silence and raised up flashlights on their phones
to honor those that had been killed. Candles and flowers were arranged
around them.
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Michelle Whitehead, right, and her sister Judy Whitehead, left, both
cousin of victim Ashley Whitehead, during the vigil for victims the
day after a shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle
food festival, Monday, July 27, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey
Wasson)
The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, two men, ages 23 and 27,
and a woman, 39, all of whom were discharged, a hospital
spokesperson said.
One of the victims was walking a bicycle when struck, the court
document said. The toddler was with his mother.
Vendors returned to venue to clean up
Vendors were allowed to return to the campus Monday morning to
collect their equipment. Skewered squid on grills, roasted ducks in
ovens and plates full of food were among the items left behind as
people fled.
Near the spot of the shooting, a stain of what appeared to be blood
was still visible.
Dozens of officers were providing security at the event and
responded in seconds, with at least one observing a suspect firing,
authorities said. Police searched an IMAX theater on the grounds
where they initially believed a second shooter had fled.
Adam Lombardo, who had a Burmese food stand at the festival,
described the panic of fleeing people as a “stampede.” As he
gathered his equipment Monday, he described how police escorted food
vendors back to the crime scene to turn off their ovens and stoves.
“They just came to enjoy a food festival with people, with friends,
with new friends, and they lost their lives in just what sounds like
meaningless bloodshed," he said.
A nearby resident offered shelter to people fleeing
Moises Perez, 30, was cooking in his apartment next to the Seattle
Center when he spotted people running and yelling outside his
window. When he opened his door, he heard gunshots and started
ushering more than a dozen people, mostly women and children,
inside.
“I was like, ‘OK, we need to help these people,’” said Perez, a
construction worker who had attended the food festival that morning.
He said losing his brother to gun violence in Mexico years ago made
him determined to help the people trying to get to safety.
He and his roommate, William Large, 25, made sure the door was
locked and started directing people to the bathroom and hallway, and
told them they could stay as long as they needed.
“They were definitely in shock. I know that a lot of people were
crying, people were screaming, people were just in complete fear,"
said Large, who works in social services.
About 30 minutes later, Perez walked out to see what had happened.
He found a woman shot in the leg being helped by emergency
officials.
The festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees, 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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