Two killed, five injured in shooting at Seattle food festival near Space Needle
Seattle: Two people were killed and five others, including a two-year-old boy, were injured after a shooting at a popular food festival near Seattle's iconic Space Needle on Sunday evening.
The gunfire erupted at around 6 pm local time at the Seattle Center during the annual Bite of Seattle festival, triggering panic as thousands of visitors fled the venue. Police launched an investigation and urged the public to avoid the area. It was not immediately clear whether any suspects had been arrested.
Grace Nuñez, spokesperson for the Seattle Fire Department, confirmed that two people died at the scene.
Five others were taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment. Among them, a 56-year-old woman remains in serious condition, while a two-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman are in stable condition. A 40-year-old woman sustained minor injuries.
The Seattle Center, which hosts the annual festival featuring hundreds of food vendors, live performances and family attractions, was packed with visitors when the shooting occurred. Emergency crews and police swiftly evacuated the sprawling venue.
Faith Adia Hunter, who was attending the festival with friends, said they had just collected food from a vendor when shots rang out nearby.
"We were right next to him when it started, so we took off running," she said, adding that they sought shelter inside the nearby Seattle Children's Museum.
Another witness, Estan Wakonabo, said he was waiting with his girlfriend at a photo booth when people suddenly began running.
"People were hiding, pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling," he said. "Once I heard 'pop, pop, pop', that's when I knew it was a shooter."
After escorting his girlfriend to safety, Wakonabo returned to the scene and said he saw multiple victims lying on the ground.
The Bite of Seattle festival, first held in 1982, attracts around 350,000 visitors over three days and is one of the city's largest annual community events.