Bite of Seattle suspect set to appear in court
Oct 8, 2026, 6:42 AM
A memorial for victims of a July 26 shooting is seen at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Seattle. (Photo: Lindsey Wasson, The Associated Press)
(Photo: Lindsey Wasson, The Associated Press)
The 15-year-old Bite of Seattle shooting suspect is expected to be back in court on Thursday morning.
There is a status hearing scheduled for the judge to make sure the attorneys on both sides are making proper progress on the case.
In November, the teen will be in court again for a decline hearing to determine whether the suspect should be tried as a juvenile or an adult for his involvement in the shooting.
On July 26, investigators said at least three suspects started shooting in the crowd at Seattle Center. One of the three was killed in the shooting, while the 15-year-old in court today was quickly arrested. Police are continuing to look into two other persons of interest.
KIRO 7 is not naming the teen suspect because of his age.
He’s charged with assault with a firearm enhancement and unlawful possession of a firearm. He’s not currently being charged with murder because investigators said the bullets in his gun didn’t match the ones pulled from the people who were killed.
In September’s court appearance, the teen’s attorney requested he be released to his father’s home on electronic monitoring, but the judge said the suspect is a threat to the community.
We also learned the suspect tried to claim self-defense.
Body cam video showed the moment he was being arrested; the suspect’s attorneys said that as he was taken into custody, he was telling officers he only started shooting because he was being shot at.
Prosecutors said pictures showed the teen was comfortable with guns and had access to more than one.
