Police Hunt Second Shooter After Violence at Seattle Food Festival Kills Three, Wounds Four

Authorities in Seattle launched a manhunt Monday for a second gunman following a shooting rampage at a crowded food festival near the Space Needle that claimed three lives and left four others injured. Law enforcement officers arrested one suspect at the scene Sunday evening, but the second shooter escaped before police could apprehend him.

The violence erupted around 6 p.m. Sunday during the final hours of the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day event featuring hundreds of food vendors, retail booths and entertainment acts. According to Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis, investigators believe the two suspects were firing at each other during the confrontation, though he said police had no description of the fugitive suspect.

Three victims were pronounced dead: two men ages 19 and 44, and a 56-year-old woman. Two individuals died at the scene while the third succumbed to injuries at a hospital. Four additional victims sustained injuries, including a 2-year-old boy, all of whom were listed in stable condition at local medical facilities early Monday.

Davis stated that police could not immediately determine whether any of the injured or deceased were involved in the initial confrontation. Despite the fugitive remaining at large, he assured the public that no ongoing threat existed, though investigators continued their investigation into the incident.

Eyewitness Faith Adia Hunter recounted being near a crepe vendor when gunshots erupted. She and nearby patrons fled into the Seattle Children’s Museum seeking shelter from the violence that unfolded around them in moments.

The gunfire triggered panic among the thousands of festival-goers present. Vendor Roberto Ramirez described hearing sounds resembling firecrackers before people began screaming and running for exits. Many vendors abandoned their food stands and equipment in the chaos, later waiting behind police barriers to retrieve their belongings.

Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were waiting in line for a photo booth when the crowd suddenly surged backward. He witnessed people falling, baby strollers overturning and the mass exodus that followed the initial gunshots before he escorted his girlfriend to safety.

The Bite of Seattle, which began in 1982, typically draws approximately 350,000 attendees annually. Dozens of police officers already positioned at the event as security witnessed the shooting and responded immediately, evacuating the sprawling Seattle Center campus.