A summer food festival beneath Seattleās Space Needle turned into a killing ground Sunday evening when two people allegedly exchanged gunfire in a crowd, leaving three people dead and four others wounded, including a 2-year-old boy.
The shooting erupted around 6 p.m. outside the Seattle Center Armory as thousands gathered for the final hours of the annual Bite of Seattle.
Police working security heard the shots and raced toward the gunfire.
Officers confronted one suspected shooter within seconds, prompting the individual to surrender, Seattle Acting Police Chief Tyrone Davis said. Authorities recovered two firearms from the scene.
A second suspected shooter fled and remained at large Monday morning. Police said they did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public, but investigators were pursuing leads to identify everyone involved.
āOur officers were there within seconds,ā Davis said. āThey performed emergency aid to the wounded until the Seattle Fire Department was on scene.ā
āSimultaneously, officers launched a search for the people responsible for this senseless violence.ā
Seven people were struck.
A 19-year-old man and a 44-year-old man died at the scene after emergency workers were unable to revive them. A 56-year-old woman was rushed to Harborview Medical Center but later died.
The four surviving victims included a 2-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman and a 40-year-old woman. Police said all four were in stable condition early Monday.
Authorities had not said whether any of the victims participated in the confrontation.
Witnesses initially mistook the gunshots for part of the festival.
āAt first, thought there were fireworks, and then everybody flooded and ran past us,ā Nick Bate told KIRO-TV.
Leanne Coles said festivalgoers stampeded toward safety as confusion swept across the Seattle Center grounds.
āEverybody started running, and so we just ran too, and we ran through the garden and we ducked and we decided to keep running with the crowd,ā Coles said. āIt was really scary.ā
The sprawling Seattle Center complex includes the Space Needle, Climate Pledge Arena and several major tourist attractions. The Bite of Seattle normally draws hundreds of vendors, performers and thousands of families over three days.
Footage from the moment the shooting started below [CONTENT WARNING]:
šØ HORRIFIC: At least 2 people are dead and 5 others are injured after a mass shooting at Seattle Center. Video shows terrified crowds running for their lives as gunfire erupts.
Praying for every victim. ššš¾ pic.twitter.com/j0y8U4nPVC
— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) July 27, 2026
This storyĀ is developing…
BREAKING: At least 3 people have been killed and 4 others are injured after gunfire erupted at Seattle's annual Bite of Seattle food festival near the Space Needle.
Police say they believe two shooters were firing at each other, sending crowds scrambling for safety as peopleā¦ pic.twitter.com/FvpAKz7Nia
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 27, 2026
