Seattle food festival shooting victims were honored Monday night at a candlelight vigil after a deadly gunfight the day before left three people dead near the Space Needle. Residents, family members, and city leaders gathered in grief as the city tried to absorb the violence that cut short a major summer event.
The victims killed on Sunday at the annual Bite of Seattle were identified as Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19, Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, and Ashley Whitehead, 56. At least four other people were injured. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson joined dozens of mourners at a local fountain, where people placed flowers and lit candles. Donations also began flowing to online fundraisers for two of the victims, with one raising tens of thousands of dollars.
Villalba was described on a GoFundMe page as a devoted husband, father of three, and loyal friend who was willing to help others. The fundraiser said his death left his family heartbroken and facing an uncertain future. His family said the money would go toward funeral costs and help support the household he leaves behind. Whitehead’s family said she had been standing in line with her daughter for cotton candy when gunshots broke out. They said she died in hospital during surgery after exchanging heartfelt words of love with her eldest daughter. Her fundraiser described her as someone who loved life, art, and family, and said she had recently moved from Alabama to the west coast to be closer to her daughter Zoie.
The vigil included a call for silence as the city marked the loss. Wilson condemned the violence and said no father or parent should have to bury a child. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson also said on social media that the community was shocked and trying to understand how a celebrated neighborhood event could end in gunfire. The scene captured a painful truth many Americans know too well: public gatherings can be turned upside down in seconds when guns enter the picture.
