The Seattle food festival shooting near the Space Needle left three dead and several injured as police say they are now looking for a third suspect.
The Seattle food festival shooting near the Space Needle left three people dead and several others hurt on Sunday, and police now say they believe at least three people were involved. The violence broke out at the annual Bite of Seattle, one of the city’s best-known summer events and a major draw for tourists.
Seattle police first said two suspects appeared to be shooting at each other. But court papers tied to the arrest of a 15-year-old on Monday changed that picture. Investigators now think there may have been a third attacker, and police say one person is still being sought while another is believed to have died at the scene. Officials said at least four people were injured, including a two-year-old boy.
The teenage suspect waived his initial court appearance on Monday and was ordered held in custody pending trial, local media reported. In court documents, police said investigators are searching for “at least one other unknown suspect.” That detail pushed the case from a fast-moving public safety crisis into an active multi-suspect investigation, with police still trying to piece together who fired what and why.
On Monday, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson told reporters that police were still looking for a third possible suspect. Assistant Police Chief Nicole Powell later said preliminary information suggested the shooting may have been gang-related. She also said the 15-year-old suspect and the 19-year-old who was killed are believed to have been associated with each other, though she declined to explain the connection.
“The Seattle food festival shooting near the Space Needle left three dead and several injured as police say they are now looking for a third suspect.”
The three people who died were identified by the King County medical examiner as 19-year-old Junior Cee Niko Semo, Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, who was 44, and Ashley Whitehead, 56. Police said two of the deaths were confirmed at the scene and the third person died in hospital. Officers now believe Semo was involved in the gunfight, a detail that adds another layer to the case but does not answer the larger question of how a crowded public festival turned into a deadly exchange of gunfire.
The Bite of Seattle ran for three days and ended on Sunday, the final day of the festival. The event is free and draws roughly 350,000 people each year. That kind of crowd makes any shooting especially dangerous, and it helps explain why the attack sent visitors scrambling for cover in a place many families would expect to feel safe.
Videos posted online showed people crouching inside the Space Needle’s lobby, using pillars and merchandise shelves as cover. Witnesses described a scene of panic as people ran in different directions. Leanne Coles told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that people around her started running and she and others fled through the garden with the crowd. Faith Adia Hunter told the Associated Press that she and her friends were near one of the shooters when the shots rang out, then ran for shelter at the Seattle Children’s Museum.
Governor Bob Ferguson posted that his prayers were with the victims’ families and the responders working to keep people safe. Wilson also condemned the attack as an act of horrific violence. The Seattle food festival shooting is now a test of how quickly police can identify every person involved and whether investigators can stop another suspect before the case grows wider. For Americans watching from afar, the message is plain: even a popular family event can become dangerous when weapons and chaos collide, and communities will want answers fast.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the shooting happen?
It happened near the Space Needle at the annual Bite of Seattle, a major Seattle summer festival.
How many people were killed and injured?
Three people died, and officials said at least four people were injured, including a two-year-old boy.
How many suspects do police think were involved?
Police now believe at least three people were involved. They say one person is still being sought and another is believed to have died at the scene.
Who were the people who died?
The King County medical examiner identified them as 19-year-old Junior Cee Niko Semo, Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, and Ashley Whitehead, 56.
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