Three people were killed and four others were wounded in a mass shooting at the Seattle Center on Sunday, according to police. Authorities have arrested a 15-year-old suspect and are continuing to search for a second individual believed to be involved.
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes stated that investigators believe two individuals exchanged gunfire outside the Seattle Center Armory, resulting in bystanders being caught in the crossfire. The motive for the shooting is believed to stem from a conflict between two small groups or gangs. Police have not ruled out the possibility that one of the deceased victims was the second shooter, but this remains unconfirmed.
The deceased victims include a 19-year-old man and a 44-year-old man, both pronounced dead at the scene. A 56-year-old woman was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and later died. Of the four other injured victims, one is a 2-year-old boy who was initially in stable condition and has since been upgraded. The remaining injured victims sustained minor injuries or have been discharged. Investigators are also looking into whether a 27-year-old man who self-transported to a hospital is an eighth victim.
The arrested 15-year-old has not been formally charged with homicide but was booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of firearms violations and first-degree assault. The juvenile was expected to appear in court on Monday.
Mayor Katie Wilson described the event as "an act of horrific violence," expressing that the community is trying to understand how a gathering centered on culture and joy ended in gunfire. The Seattle Center was hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival over the weekend when the shooting occurred.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson was receiving briefings on the incident, and State Patrol SWAT officers responded to assist the Seattle Police Department. U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal and King County Executive Girmay Zahilay also issued statements expressing horror and offering condolences to the victims and their families.
Witnesses at the scene described chaos, with people screaming and running for cover. Some reported hearing multiple rounds of shots and described people jumping over each other to escape, with one woman falling and sustaining an injury to her leg.