Three Killed, Four Injured in Shooting at Seattle Food Festival

July 28, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

Three people were killed and four others injured after two suspects exchanged gunfire at the crowded Bite of Seattle food festival near the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington, on Sunday evening. The Seattle Police Department said officers who were already at Seattle Center for the annual event heard gunfire and responded within seconds. Preliminary information indicates that two people began shooting at each other outside the Seattle Center Armory at about 6pm, striking seven people.

The victims killed were a 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman. Two died at the scene, while the third died later at Harborview Medical Center. Four other people were hospitalised, including a two-year-old child, who remained in stable condition. The other injured victims are adults.

Hundreds of vendors and attendees fled the festival after the shooting broke out. Police arrested one suspect and are searching for another person believed to be involved. Authorities said the motive behind the shooting remains unknown. Police said they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public, while detectives from the Homicide Unit and Gun Violence Reduction Unit continue investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting.

“Our officers were there within seconds. They performed emergency aid to the wounded until the Seattle Fire Department was on scene,” Acting Police Chief Tyrone Davis said. “Simultaneously, officers launched a search for the people responsible for this senseless violence.” The shooting has renewed concerns over gun violence in the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, Washington state has recorded at least four mass shootings involving four or more people injured or killed since the start of 2026. Nationwide, at least 271 mass shootings have been reported during the same period.

Nicole Hockley, co-founder and chief executive officer of Sandy Hook Promise and the mother of Dylan Hockley, who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, criticised the continued impact of gun violence following the attack. “Our hearts break for the victims and their loved ones, and for the Seattle community as a whole,” Hockley said, describing the shooting as a moment that turned a family event into a scene of panic and fear. She highlighted the injuries suffered by the two-year-old child, saying the incident showed the consequences of disputes involving firearms in public spaces. Hockley called for greater action to prevent gun violence, including recognising warning signs, intervening before violence occurs and implementing safety measures aimed at protecting communities. Police continue to investigate the shooting and are working to identify additional suspects involved in the attack.

Source: FSX Business News