3 killed in shooting at Seattle food festival

By YAN ZHUANG and ISHANI DESAI

A chaotic shooting in Seattle’s downtown arts and entertainment venue left three people dead Sunday and four others wounded, including a toddler, authorities said, after at least two people sprayed gunfire during a food festival in the shadow of the Space Needle.

Officers took one suspect into custody, Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis of the Seattle Police Department said at a news conference late Sunday, and they were searching for another that he described as a “young person.”

He said investigators believed that the two suspects had been shooting at each other.

“I’ve never felt so scared in my life,” said Rachel Costa, 49, a visitor from Brazil who was at the festival when the shots rang out. She ran and barricaded herself inside a pavilion with about 20 other people, she said, until authorities told them the danger had passed.

Davis said there was no outstanding threat to the community, though he did not rule out the possibility of other suspects. Two guns had been recovered, he said, adding that it was unclear whether the victims had any relation to the suspects.

The shooting happened at Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World’s Fair, just after 6 p.m. The Seattle Fire Department tried to save two victims, but both were declared dead at the scene. Rescuers also treated five other people, whose injuries ranged from minor to serious.

Four of the victims were taken to Harborview Medical Center, including a 2-year-old who was in stable condition. The other patients were between 23 and 56 years old, the department’s statement said.

A medical center spokesperson said all four patients had suffered gunshot wounds. Later, police said one had died of her injuries, bringing the death toll to three.

Mayor Katie Wilson said in a statement that the incident was “an act of horrific violence.”

Over 350,000 people attend the three-day Bite of Seattle food festival each year, according to its website. Justice Beitzel, 52, was there with friends Sunday evening, she said, when she heard gunshots. The music suddenly stopped, and people ran toward her, ducking and hiding behind trees.

She grabbed her friend and hid behind a picket fence, she said in a phone interview. “We helped console those who were still shaking.”