Officials reveal 3 firearms, including ghost gun with 19 rounds loaded, recovered in Seattle shooting as police search for possible suspects

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes held a news conference Tuesday regarding the gang-related mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle on Sunday, where three people died and at least four people were wounded.

Barnes revealed that the weapon recovered from a 15-year-old in custody, which they believe was used in the shooting, was a ghost gun, an untraceable firearm assembled without a serial number. He added that ghost guns are typically homemade and are illegal.

“We recovered a polymer 89 millimeter ghost gun with an extended magazine that had a 33-round capacity,” Barnes said. “And when it was recovered, there were 19 rounds in the magazine.”

Barnes said a second gun was also recovered, but police don’t believe it was used in the shooting.

“The second gun we recovered was a Springfield Armory model RO compact nine millimeter with a standard magazine,” he explained. “There were seven rounds in the magazine, and we do not believe this weapon was used in the incident.”

Barnes said a third gun, a Glock model 45 nine millimeter pistol with a fully automatic switch, was recovered by officers during the food vendor cleanup effort.

“It had an extended magazine with a 40-round capacity, and 21 rounds were left in the magazine,” he explained.

Wilson said police are reviewing CCTV camera footage from the Seattle Center and from private businesses around the area.

Police try to track down 8th victim in Bite of Seattle shooting

Barnes noted police are still trying to track down possible suspects and a potential eighth victim in the shooting. The person checked into the hospital with a gunshot wound Sunday night, but Barnes said detectives haven’t been able to reach them.

“If you are that person, or you know that person, or you’re willing to give us information, you can do that anonymously,” he said. “Please do that. This is an ongoing and a very complex investigation, and every piece I think is very, very important.”

Three people were killed as a result of the shooting. Ashley Whitehead, 56, was killed by a gunshot wound to the pelvis. Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, was killed by a gunshot wound to the torso.

19-year-old shooter killed at the scene, while police search for more potential suspects

Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19, was killed by multiple gunshot wounds and was determined to be one of the shooters.

Police believe the shooting could be gang-related, as two groups were firing at each other.

Preliminary court documents stated that at least three gunmen were involved: Semo, the 15-year-old in custody, and another gunman are on the loose. Semo is believed to be an acquaintance of the 15-year-old, according to court documents.

Now, Barnes is saying police are not looking for just one additional suspect.

“While there has been information swirling that we’re looking for only one suspect, we’re not saying that. It’s possible that there could be more, but due to conflicting witness statements, we’re trying to determine who was involved,” he said.

Barnes added that police do not believe there is an ongoing, immediate threat to the public because the incident appears to have been targeted and linked to gang violence.

The 15-year-old did not appear in court Monday, but the judge found probable cause for three counts of assault and unlawful possession of a gun, KIRO Newsradio confirmed. He has been ordered to be held in secure detention.

Plans to reduce gun violence

Alongside the investigation, Wilson outlined a broader strategy to confront gun violence in Seattle.

“We are bringing in an expert in gun violence reduction, including youth violence prevention, who will partner with our city staff and our community-based partners to strengthen our coordination and accountability across our existing bodies of work,” she said.

Seattle is in discussions with several national organizations known for helping cities reduce shootings, including the National Network for Safe Communities, Cure Violence Global, National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, and Cities United.

“These are organizations with demonstrated track records of helping cities to stand up successful gun violence reduction strategies across the country, and we look forward to learning from them about gaps and opportunities to enhance our existing gun violence work,” Wilson said.

She emphasized that the effort will be done in partnership with the city council, King County leaders, the Regional Office for Gun Violence Prevention, local and federal law enforcement, and, most importantly, communities disproportionately impacted by gun violence.

“We are advancing new strategies at the local level; we also know that reducing the number of guns on our streets requires state and federal policy changes,” Wilson said.

Vigil planned Wednesday

Barnes noted the department’s focus has shifted to supporting the victims and their families while working to hold everyone involved accountable.

“We remain focused on getting justice for all people involved in every aspect of this tragedy,” he said. “We want to hold those accountable, and we want to be responsible and responsive to our community.”

The city invited the public to a silent vigil at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the International Fountain at Seattle Center.

Contributing: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio

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