Agencies | Washington:
At least two people were killed and five others were injured in a mass shooting at a food festival in Seattle, United States, on Sunday, just a block from the city’s iconic Space Needle, police said.
Authorities have not confirmed whether any suspects have been taken into custody. The Seattle Police Department said officers are investigating the incident and urged the public to avoid the area.
“Police are investigating a shooting. Multiple shooting victims. Shots fired at the Seattle Center. More information to come. Please avoid the area,” the department said in a post on X.
The shooting occurred at around 6 pm (EST) at the Seattle Center, where the annual Bite of Seattle festival was underway. According to The Seattle Times, the injured victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
The Bite of Seattle festival, one of the city’s largest annual events, features hundreds of local food vendors and live music performances, attracting large crowds each year.
Videos circulating on social media captured the moment gunshots rang out, sending festival-goers scrambling for safety. Eyewitnesses told CNN affiliate KOMO that they heard “seven to eight shots” and saw people running in all directions.
Another witness told The Seattle Times that the venue was already packed before the shooting, making it difficult for people to move through the crowded food stalls.
Estan Wakonabo, 25, said panic quickly spread after the gunfire began, with people trampling one another as they tried to escape.
“It was just pure chaos,” Wakonabo said.
He later returned to the scene to take photographs and told The Seattle Times that he saw several gunshot victims lying on the ground, including one body covered with a yellow sheet.
First held in 1982, the Bite of Seattle is one of the city’s most popular summer events, drawing an estimated 350,000 visitors over three days of food, drink and community celebrations, according to the festival’s website.
Police continue to investigate the motive behind the shooting, and further details are awaited.
