US: Two killed, five injured in shooting at Seattle food festival near Space Needle

Two people were killed, and five others were injured, including a child, in a shooting on Sunday evening during a popular food festival near the Space Needle in Seattle, a city fire department spokesperson said. The gunfire erupted around 6 pm in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle, an annual festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers.

A large number of police personnel and emergency responders rushed to the scene and began evacuating people from the sprawling Seattle Center events campus. Authorities have not yet disclosed the exact location of the shooting within the festival grounds, which included both indoor and outdoor venues.

Grace Nuñez, spokesperson for the Seattle Fire Department, said, “Two people died at the scene. Five patients were transported to Harborview Medical Centre, including a 56-year-old woman in serious condition.”

She further said that a 2-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman are in stable condition, while a 40-year-old woman had minor injuries.

Police investigating shooting incident 

Police were investigating the shooting and urged people to avoid the area just northwest of downtown. Authorities did not immediately say if anyone was in custody. “Police are investigating a shooting. Multiple shooting victims. Shots fired at the Seattle Center. More information to come. Please avoid the area,” the Seattle Police said.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said he was receiving briefings and State Patrol SWAT officers were deployed to assist local police. “My prayers are with the families of the victims, and the responders as they work to keep people safe,” Ferguson said in a statement.

Eyewitnesses recall horror

Faith Adia Hunter said she and her friends had just gotten food from a crepe vendor when gunfire broke out. She realised a shooter was near them. “We were right next to him when it started so we took off running,” Hunter said. “So we took off running too into the building with the crowd.”

She and others found shelter in the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum, Hunter said.

In the chaos of the shooting, many vendors bolted toward the exits, abandoning their food stands. Hours afterward, some milled outside the police tape, wondering when they would be allowed to return to collect their tents, food and cooking gear.

Roberto Ramirez, a vendor at the event, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers before people began yelling “shooter” and frantically running. “Suddenly everything was empty,” he said. “People were freaked out.”

Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were at the festival waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and he 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, adding that was when he heard gunshots.

“Once I heard a pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” he said.

The annual festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees over “three days of food, drink, and community celebration,” according to its website. 

(With AP inputs)

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