‘Act of horrific violence’: Shooting at Bite of Seattle leaves 3 dead, 4 wounded

Three people were killed and another four were injured in a shooting at Seattle Center Sunday evening during the Bite of Seattle event, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) confirmed.

SPD officers arrived at the 200 block of Thomas Street just after 6 p.m. and cleared the area. Several people in the area at the time of the shooting were sheltered at the Seattle Armory.

“They attempted lifesaving efforts for two patients, but they were unsuccessful. [Two] patients were declared deceased at the scene,” Grace Nuñez, the public information officer with the Seattle Fire Department (SFD), stated. “The Seattle Police Department is investigating.”

A 19-year-old man and a 44-year-old man died at the scene, SPD announced. A third person, a 56-year-old woman, died after she was transported to Harborview Medical Center, where three other injured victims were sent for medical care.

The other victims — a 23-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman, and a 2-year-old child — are in stable condition, as of this reporting.

“Our hearts go out to everybody who’s impacted by this,” Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said at the scene of the shooting during a media debrief just before 11 p.m. “I can’t imagine being the parent of a two-year-old toddler, for example, who’s injured in a shooting like this. But for everybody who’s impacted, our hearts go out to them.”

The fourth person injured, a 40-year-old woman, took herself to the University of Washington (UW) Medical Center. All four injured had gunshot wounds.

“The range of injuries for the four patients involves the arm, leg, abdomen, and lower leg,” Susan Gregg, the director of media relations for UW Medicine, told KIRO Newsradio.

One suspect was arrested and taken into custody, according to Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, but multiple shooters were reported to be involved. SPD officers found and confiscated two guns at the scene. The department believes two suspects were shooting at each other.

“There may be more. We’re still trying to figure this out,” Tyrone Davis, the assistant chief for the SPD, said at the scene during the debrief with media. “We have a limited amount of witnesses, so one of the things that really could help us out is if people would call our hotline.”

Any witnesses who might have information on potential suspects are encouraged to call (206) 233-5000.

The suspect in custody, a young individual, is currently being interviewed by SPD. The department will release more details Monday morning.

“I’m really sorry that this happened. The Bite of Seattle is a very positive event,” Davis added. “We haven’t had any issues in recent years, and you know, thankfully we had officers on the scene that were brave, went to those shots and prevented more victims from being injured. This is going to be an ongoing investigation. We’re going to be out here for several hours trying to figure out exactly what’s going on, and what happened tonight.”

According to Davis, there is no active threat to the community at this time. Davis acted as interim chief during the initial police response because SPD Chief Shon Barnes was out of town Sunday. He is expected to be back Monday morning.

The Bite of Seattle event was taking place at the Seattle Center during the shooting. Bite of Seattle, the largest free-admission food event in Washington, was scheduled to occur from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

“I heard like four shots, and then people yelling, running, screaming, and I was like, ‘Oh damn, what’s going on?'” Isaiah, an 18-year-old employee running carnival games at the Bite of Seattle event, told KIRO Newsradio. “I was like, ‘Hey, run [Andrew], cause someone’s shooting,’ and then we both hopped the fence.

“I told him to run. He ran. I stayed back because I saw people struggling trying to hop over the fence,” Isaiah continued. “So I just started grabbing kids — kids, men, women, everyone — I just started helping them. I was just tossing kids over left and right, left and right until there was no one there. And then I just took off.”

More than 350,000 people were expected to attend the three-day event.

“Once I ran like a block, the police were already on their way here, but there were still so many families, people coming to the Bite of Seattle,” Andrew, another Bite of Seattle employee, said. “I was just telling everyone, ‘Don’t go! Don’t go! It’s not safe. There’s an active shooter. This is not a joke.'”

The Seattle Center Monorail was closed for the rest of Sunday. Operations will resume by 7:30 a.m. Monday. Additionally, the Pacific Science Center will be closed Monday, with all general admission shows now canceled.

Ferguson stated that the Washington State Patrol (WSP) SWAT team is at the scene to assist SPD. The King County Gun Violence Reduction Unit, SPD’s CSI unit, WSP, and the FBI are also involved in the investigation.

I’m receiving briefings regarding the ongoing response to the tragedy at the Seattle Center. The Washington State Patrol SWAT team is on the way to assist, at the request of the Seattle Police Department.

Please continue to avoid the area. If you are in the area, please follow…

— Governor Bob Ferguson (@GovBobFerguson) July 27, 2026

During the briefing from SPD, it was revealed there were no surveillance cameras in the immediate area where the shooting occurred, but Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson disputed this later in the press briefing.

“My understanding is that there are cameras in Seattle Center, and we’re working to see if any relevant footage is on those cameras,” Wilson said.

Witnesses share accounts of shooting

“I was about 25 feet south of one of the people that was shot,” Geoff, a Bite of Seattle attendee, told KIRO Newsradio. “So then, hundreds of people were running at me, and going southwest, and I went the opposite way to see if I could help because I do mountain rescue, and a person was shot, but somebody was attending to them. At the Seattle Center Pavilion thing, there was somebody lying on the ground who had been shot, and cops were just telling us to leave. I saw another person who was lying on the ground a little further north, closer to the fountain, along the walkway.”

Geoff described the shooting coming from a “machine gun kind of thing.” A Glock switch, a device that changes a regular semi-automatic handgun into one that is fully automatic, might have been involved in the shooting.

“I heard like at least six shots. That’s what I heard. So as soon as my girlfriend was safe, I ran over there as fast as I can,” Eston, another witness, told KIRO Newsradio. “There’s just bodies on the ground. One person was doing CPR. Other one was trying to get a female who was shot. People were trying to help each other.

“We’re in Seattle. You know, Seattle Bites. Everyone’s supposed to have fun, enjoy,” he added. “Instead, we’re getting people shooting. I mean, disturbing, I would say.”

“We were out grabbing a little bite to eat, and the next thing you know, our phone just started blowing up. It was our son texting just rapid fire, letting us know that there was a shooting,” KIRO Newsradio traffic reporter Chris Sullivan said, sharing his own experience. “He and his girlfriend and their friends were all down at the Bite. They weren’t close enough to actually hear the shooting, but they were in the area, and they, like everybody else, just took off trying to do what they needed to do to get safe. Really hectic situation there at Seattle Center as shots rang out and people there enjoying the final day of the Bite left trying to scramble for their safety.”

Sullivan said his son and all of his friends are OK.

Seattle mayor, King County executive release statements on shooting

Just after 8:30 p.m., King County Executive Girmay Zahilay released a statement on the tragedy and how important the Bite of Seattle is to Seattle.

“I’m horrified by the shooting at Seattle Center this evening during the Bite of Seattle,” Zahilay wrote. “As someone who grew up in this community, I know what this event means to so many families, young people, and neighbors across our region. For years, the Bite has been one of Seattle’s signature summer traditions. To see violence at a place that brings so many people together is heartbreaking and unacceptable. My heart is with the victims and their loved ones, those who were senselessly injured, Seattle Center employees and vendors, and everyone who has been traumatized by the experience. I am also grateful for the first responders who rushed in to protect others and care for the injured.”

Shortly after, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson published a statement.

“What happened at the Seattle Center today was an act of horrific violence,” Wilson wrote. “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. No one should have to weigh the risk of being shot before attending an event, gathering with friends, or experiencing their city.”

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Contributing: Jillian Raftery, KIRO Newsradio

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