One of the victims who died in Sunday’s mass shooting at a Seattle food festival was identified as a mother of two who was waiting in line for cotton candy when the violence unfolded.
Mother of two Ashley Whitehead, 56, and Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, were fatally shot in the horrific incident, the King County Medical Examiner said, along with 19-year-old Junior Cee Niko Semo, who police believe was involved in the gunfire near Seattle’s iconic Space Needle.
There were at least three suspects involved, and a 15-year-old was detained in connection with the shooting. Police are still searching for at least one other unknown suspect.
Four others were injured, including a toddler, and the three adults have since been discharged from the hospital. The two-year-old boy was said to be in a satisfactory condition as of Monday evening.
The 15-year-old is being held in juvenile detention for investigation of firearms violations and first-degree assault.
Shots rang out at the annual Bite of Seattle event, a street food and live music event for families held at the Seattle Center, a 74-acre entertainment and cultural complex downtown.
The attack is the latest of at least 271 mass shootings that have been recorded in the U.S. this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
What happened?
The festival was winding down at around 6. p.m. when the suspects started firing at one another, Seattle Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis said. Dozens of officers were providing security at the event and witnessed the shooting.
A large number of police and emergency crews responded and began evacuating the area around the sprawling Seattle Center campus as festival-goers took cover.
Faith Adia Hunter said she and her friends had just bought crepes from a vendor when the shooting started nearby, prompting her group to seek shelter in the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum.
“We were right next to him when it started, so we took off running,” she said. “So we took off running too into the building with the crowd.”
Amid the chaos, many vendors bolted toward the exits, abandoning their stalls. Hours afterward, some gathered around the police tape, wondering when they would be allowed to return to collect their tents, food and cooking equipment.
One of the vendors, Roberto Ramirez, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers before people began yelling “shooter” and running frantically.
“Suddenly everything was empty,” he said. “People were freaked out.”
After the initial panic, new visitors continued to arrive, unaware of what had happened, and were instructed to leave by police, he said.
Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and turned to see a rush of people fleeing.
“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said.
“Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” he added, reporting that he later saw multiple victims on the ground.
The victims
Ashley Whitehead, 56, and Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, were killed in the gunfire, The Seattle Times reported, citing the King County Medical Examiner. Sanchez Villalba died at the scene. Whitehead succumbed to her injuries after being transported to a hospital.
FOX 13 Seattle reported that Sanchez Villalba died from a gunshot wound to the torso and Whitehead was shot multiple times in the pelvis.
Whitehead was shot while waiting in line for cotton candy, according to a GoFundMe fundraising page created by a loved one.
She was with her daughter, Zoie, and future son-in-law, Ben, when tragedy struck. Whitehead had recently moved to the West Coast from Alabama to be closer to Zoie and helped with her daughter’s living expenses. Her younger daughter, Celeste, lives in Virginia, the GoFundMe read.
“She was shot and, despite surviving long enough to exchange heartfelt 'I love you's [sic] with her eldest daughter, passed away during surgery at Harborview,” said the fundraising organizer Stacey, who was the sister of Zoie’s late partner Michael.
Stacy explained that Michael, whom Zoie was with for seven years, died of heart failure in 2018. Stacy remains close to Zoie, who she said will receive any donations to support herself and her family after the shooting.
At least four other people were taken to hospital for treatment following the shooting. Their identities have yet to be revealed.
As of Monday morning, three adults had been discharged, and a two-year-old boy was in satisfactory condition but still under observation, a spokesperson for Harborview Medical Center told the Associated Press. The three who were discharged included a 23-year-old man, a 27-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman.
A fifth person was treated at the scene for a minor injury.
Harborview said it had gone into “partial lockdown” following guidance from the Seattle Police Department.
The suspects
Police believe there were at least three suspects, according to court documents. Authorities only identified the teenager taken into custody as a 15-year-old.
One of the suspects was killed in the shooting, according to court documents. He was identified as 19-year-old Junior Cee Niko Semo of Seattle by the King County Medical Examiner Monday, per KING 5 News. He reportedly died of multiple gunshot wounds.
“Based on the evidence at the scene, investigators believe” the 15-year-old “and one of the deceased engaged in a gunfight with at least one other unknown suspect,” the document obtained by the Associated Press said.
Davis said officers do not yet have a description of the third suspect who fled, saying: “We’re still trying to figure this out.”
There is believed to be no further threat to the public.
The aftermath
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson called the shooting an “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,” she said at a press conference.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson wrote on X: “My prayers are with the families of the victims, and the responders as they work to keep people safe.”
Washington Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal said in a statement that she was “absolutely horrified” by the violence, calling it “senseless” and likewise expressing her condolences to the families of the victims.
The gun control advocacy group March for Our Lives said: “Our hearts are with everyone who was there tonight, and with a city that didn’t ask for this. We will not accept this as normal.”
Ariana Baio contributed to this report
