One suspect has been taken into custody after three people were killed and five were wounded — including a 2-year-old boy — during a mass shooting at a popular Seattle food festival Sunday evening. Two died at the scene, and a third victim who was taken to Harborview Medical Center later succumbed to their injuries.
The Seattle Fire Department said the child and three other wounded victims were rushed to the hospital in stable condition, with the fifth person treated at the scene for minor injuries, The Seattle Times said.
There was no word on the identity of whoever’s behind the carnage at the Seattle Center, home to the city’s iconic Space Needle, which was hosting the annual Bite of Seattle event over the weekend.
The barrage of gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. local time.
Estan Wakonabo, 25, told The Seattle Times he was at Bite of Seattle with his girlfriend when he heard gunshots.
“It was just pure chaos,” he said.
Those injured in the shooting include a 56-year-old woman in serious condition, a two-year-old boy, a 40-year-old woman, a 39-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man.
Key Points
- Third victim dies after Seattle festival shooting
- Seattle mayor now says one suspect in custody
- Eyewitnesses describe moment of horror when shooting erupted
- Motive behind Seattle festival shooting remains unclear
- Authorities confirm details of the injured
Third victim dies after Seattle festival shooting
07:09 , Maroosha MuzaffarA third person has died following the mass shooting at Seattle Center, Seattle assistant police chief Tyrone Davis has said.
According to Davis, two victims died at the scene, while a third victim who was taken to Harborview Medical Center later succumbed to their injuries.
Witnesses say they heard ‘seven to eight shots’
06:59 , Maroosha MuzaffarWitnesses described hearing multiple rounds of gunfire as panic spread through the Bite of Seattle festival.
Two attendees told KOMO News they heard “seven to eight shots” and saw people running “everywhere”.
Another witness said he was near a stage when he heard “at least two dozen shots”.
Some festivalgoers also took shelter inside the Space Needle gift shop, while police, emergency crews and officers from several agencies, including the FBI, responded to the scene.
Washington governor Bob Ferguson later said a state SWAT team was also deployed at the request of Seattle police.
There has been no press conference, almost five hours after the shooting.
Seattle festival shooting: Everything we know so far
06:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar- At least two people were killed and five were wounded – including a 2-year-old boy – during a mass shooting at a popular Seattle food festival on Sunday evening.
- The shooting occurred at Seattle Center, a 74-acre entertainment and cultural complex in downtown Seattle that is home to the iconic Space Needle.
- The shooting took place during the annual Bite of Seattle festival, a popular event at Seattle Center that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors with its food stalls and live music.
- Those injured include a 56-year-old woman in serious condition, a two-year-old boy, a 40-year-old woman, a 39-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man.
- Seattle mayor Katie Wilson updated her earlier statement and said one suspect was taken into custody after the shooting that left two people dead and several others injured.
- Harborview Medical Center, which is treating several victims from the Seattle shooting, said it has gone into “partial lockdown” following guidance from the Seattle Police Department to protect victims and their families.
- Authorities have not yet said what sparked the shooting at Seattle Center during the annual Bite of Seattle festival, with a police investigation ongoing.
- Seattle Center has shut its monorail service for the rest of Sunday after the shooting.
- According to the Gun Violence Archive, the Seattle shooting is one of at least 271 mass shootings recorded in the US this year.
Motive behind Seattle festival shooting remains unclear
06:38 , Maroosha MuzaffarAuthorities have not yet said what sparked the shooting at Seattle Center during the annual Bite of Seattle festival, with a police investigation ongoing.
Seattle mayor Katie Wilson said one suspect has been taken into custody after the shooting, which left two people dead and several others injured.
Seattle shooting marks 271st US mass shooting of the year
06:34 , Maroosha MuzaffarAccording to the Gun Violence Archive, the Seattle shooting is one of at least 271 mass shootings recorded in the US this year.
The organisation defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot, regardless of whether the victims survive.
The Seattle shooting killed two people and injured at least five others, including a two-year-old.
Washington governor sends condolences to families of shooting victims
06:19 , Maroosha MuzaffarWashington governor Bob Ferguson has offered his condolences to the families of the victims.
“My prayers are with the families of the victims, and the responders as they work to keep people safe,” he said on social media.
He said he is receiving briefings on the ongoing police response and urged the public to avoid the Seattle Center and follow directions from law enforcement.
I'm receiving briefings regarding the ongoing response to the tragedy at the Seattle Center. The Washington State Patrol SWAT team is on the way to assist, at the request of the Seattle Police Department.
— Governor Bob Ferguson (@GovBobFerguson) July 27, 2026
Please continue to avoid the area. If you are in the area, please follow…
Seattle mayor now says one suspect in custody
06:08 , Maroosha MuzaffarSeattle mayor Katie Wilson has updated her earlier statement and now says one suspect has been taken into custody after the shooting at Seattle Center that left two people dead and several others injured.
Wilson said: "I want to thank the Seattle police officers who responded to the scene and took a suspect into custody," she says in her updated statement.
Earlier, she said two suspects were taken in custody.
Map: Where the Seattle Center shooting happened
06:05 , Maroosha MuzaffarThe shooting occurred at Seattle Center, a 74-acre entertainment and cultural complex in downtown Seattle that is home to the iconic Space Needle.
Congresswoman who represents Seattle calls shooting ‘senseless violence’
05:55 , Maroosha MuzaffarCongresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who represents Seattle, condemned the shooting at Seattle Center, calling it “senseless violence”.
“Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this senseless violence,” she wrote on social media.
“We are in close touch with Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Governor Bob Ferguson, and co-ordinating across multiple levels of government to get updates on the situation.”
She also urged the public to stay away from the area while the police investigation continues.
Movie screening halted as Seattle shooting triggers lockdown
05:46 , Maroosha MuzaffarThe shooting at Seattle Center also disrupted nearby attractions, including the Pacific Science Center IMAX theatre, where a screening of The Odyssey was underway, The Seattle Times reported.
Moviegoer Abdul Mohammed said the film stopped suddenly and audiences were instructed to raise their hands and leave the theatre slowly as 10 to 15 police officers, with weapons drawn, entered the building.
The theatre later closed for the rest of the day.
Authorities confirm details of the injured
05:26 , Maroosha MuzaffarThe Seattle fire department has released details about the wounded after confirming that two people were killed in the shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival.
Those injured include a 56-year-old woman in serious condition, a two-year-old boy, a 40-year-old woman, a 39-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man.
The shooting took place at around 6 p.m. local time during the annual Bite of Seattle food festival at Seattle Center, sending festivalgoers fleeing in panic.
Two suspects in custody, Seattle mayor confirms
05:22 , Maroosha MuzaffarSeattle mayor Katie Wilson said two suspects are in custody after the shooting at Seattle Center that left two people dead and several others injured.
Wilson said: “I want to thank the Seattle police officers who responded to the scene and took two suspects into custody.”
No further details were provided.
She described the shooting “act of horrific violence”.
“Impacted families are living through the worst moment of their lives, and an entire community is trying to understand how a gathering built around culture, connection, and joy ended in gunfire.”
‘It was really scary.. Everybody started running’, eyewitness describes chaos at the site of shooting
05:20 , Maroosha MuzaffarWitnesses described scenes of panic after multiple gunshots rang out at the Seattle festival, sending people running for safety.
“At first, thought there were fireworks, and then everybody flooded and ran past us,” one witness, Nick Bate, told KIRO-TV.
Another witness, Leanne Coles, said she fled with the crowd before taking cover.
“Everybody started running, and so we just ran too,” she said.
“We decided to keep running with the crowd... I looked up for the Space Needle to try to keep track of where we were. It was really scary.”
In pictures: Aftermath of Seattle shooting
05:14 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Police yet to identify suspect in Seattle festival shooting
05:06 , Maroosha MuzaffarSeattle police have not released any information about a possible suspect in the mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and have not confirmed whether anyone has been arrested.
Seattle Center closes monorail after shooting at popular food festival
05:02 , Maroosha MuzaffarSeattle Center has shut its monorail service for the rest of Sunday after a shooting at the annual Bite of Seattle food festival.
The festival, one of the city’s biggest summer events, draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year with its food vendors and live music.
Witnesses told local media they heard multiple gunshots at around 6 p.m. local time, with one attendee describing the scene as “pure chaos”.
Medical center goes into ‘partial lockdown’
04:54 , Maroosha MuzaffarHarborview Medical Center, which is treating several victims from the Seattle shooting, said it has gone into “partial lockdown” following guidance from the Seattle Police Department to protect victims and their families.
Hospital officials said five people are being treated there, including a child who is in “satisfactory” condition.
The other patients include three women and one man, all also listed in satisfactory condition, although one woman is undergoing surgery.
The hospital added that it is not expecting further patients from the shooting, the spokesperson said.
Eyewitnesses describe moment of horror when shooting erupted
04:48 , Maroosha MuzaffarEyewitnesses described people running for safety after hearing what they first thought were fireworks.
Estan Wakonabo, 25, told The Seattle Times he was at Bite of Seattle with his girlfriend when he heard gunshots.
“It was just pure chaos,” he said.
Wakanabo also recalled seeing shooting victims on the ground, with one covered by a yellow sheet.
Paul Skinner, 47, described hearing a series of pops.
“I just heard what sounded like what were some pretty loud fireworks at first,” he said. “Then, the energy changed. Mobs of people started flooding back down. I just told our staff to get down.”
Harborview Medical Center said it would be receiving victims injured in the shooting, according to TV station KOMO.
Two dead in mass shooting at popular food festival in Seattle Center
04:36 , Graeme MassieAt least two people were killed and five were wounded — including a 2-year-old boy — during a mass shooting at a popular Seattle food festival Sunday evening, according to a report.
The Seattle Fire Department said the child and three other wounded victims were rushed to the hospital in stable condition, with the fifth person treated at the scene for minor injuries, The Seattle Times said.
There was no word on the identity or whereabouts of whoever’s behind the carnage at the Seattle Center, home to the city’s iconic Space Needle, which was hosting the annual Bite of Seattle event over the weekend, according to reports.
