Seattle Center shooting leaves 3 dead; 1 in custody, 1 suspect at large

Assistant police chief Tyrone Davis said at a news conference that a third person has died after being shot at the Bite of Seattle event at Seattle Center. Police have one suspect in custody and are asking witnesses with information to come forward.

A U.S. flag on the Space Needle flew at half-mast as Gov. Bob Ferguson, Mayor Katie Wilson and the Seattle police Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis said the death toll had risen to three.

At Seattle Center, a lingering smell of sweets and barbecue floated through the air during the news conference, as law enforcement continued to process the scene.

The Seattle Police Department is seeking witnesses to the fatal shooting at Seattle Center.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police department's tip line: 206-233-5000

"We need your help," Seattle police Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis said. "We can't solve this without help from our community"

Seattle police Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis said the outstanding suspect does not pose a threat to the public. He said the suspect is "a young person," but would not say if they are a juvenile or an adult.

The shooting occurred outside the Seattle Center Armory, near the building's northwest corner, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Seattle police officers were at the scene and were "ready to address that incident when it occurred," Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis said, calling their response "heroic."

Seattle police Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis said there were no cameras that captured the shooting and that investigators are working to locate and speak with witnesses.

"They're not coming forward," Davis said.

The Seattle Police Department believes two people were shooting at each other at Seattle Center.

One person was taken into custody and a second person remains at large, assistant chief Tyrone Davis said at a news conference. The police department did not provide any additional information about either person.

A third person died in the Seattle Center shooting, according to the Seattle Police Department.

The person was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where they died.

Journalists have been waiting for multiple hours for a news conference with the Seattle Police Department about the deadly shooting at Seattle Center.

Initially, officers said they didn't have an exact time for the briefing. At 9:15 p.m., as the crowd of media members grew larger, a police spokesperson announced the news conference would begin at 9:45 p.m.

The spokesperson appeared surprised to learn that Mayor Katie Wilson's office had released a statement saying two people were in custody. The statement was later updated to say one person was in custody, with no explanation provided for the change.

As of 10:40 p.m., the news conference had still not started. Minutes earlier, the police public information officer told reporters the wait would continue as officials waited for “dignitaries” who wanted to participate in the briefing. The officer did not identify who those officials were.

The Pacific Science Center, located at the south end of the Seattle Center campus, will be closed Monday. All shows and general admission for the day are canceled, PacSci said in a social media post.

Guests with tickets for Monday will be automatically refunded.

A senior deputy prosecutor with the King County prosecuting attorney's office responded to Seattle Center on Sunday night, according to the office.

Officials said they do not yet have the identity of the person taken into custody, whose detention was announced by Mayor Katie Wilson. Authorities have not released any information about the person in custody, and a Seattle police news conference scheduled for 9:45 p.m. has been delayed.

When someone is arrested in Seattle in a felony investigation and booked before midnight, they typically have a first appearance hearing the following day. The King County prosecuting attorney's office said it expect to provide its next update late Monday afternoon after the first appearance calendar.

Dominique Campbell drove up to Seattle from Los Angeles to sell his clothing brand “Soup” at Bite of Seattle. He was in his booth when he heard gunshots nearby. He and his sister ducked down as the crowd ran past. Others took shelter there as well, he said.

A woman laid down on the ground by the booth and Campbell noticed she was bleeding. “One of the people who got hit made it to my booth,” he said. “I grabbed a T-shirt and wrapped her leg and just put pressure on it.”

Campbell says an officer with a medical kit arrived soon after and taped the shirt around the woman’s leg.

“She was in shock, she didn’t know she got shot. She kept asking what happened,” said Campbell.

Now that his booth is in an active crime scene, Campbell is not sure when he’ll be able to access his items and pack up, but he said he is grateful that he and sister are safe.

Michael Girardi was standing near the music stage by Fisher Pavilion when he heard two rounds of popping sounds. He and others took cover behind the stage for a moment. When he emerged, he saw police officers and paramedics tending to two injured people.

Police swarmed the area quickly, Girardi said, converging on a birria stand where, he believed one victim was located. On the other side of the lawn, near apparel vendors, he saw first responders performing CPR on a man lying on the ground.

Girardi also saw paramedics treating a wounded toddler who appeared conscious, and was not crying. “The mother (was) in anguish,” he said.

According to Harborview Medical Center, a 2-year-old boy was injured and in satisfactory condition on Sunday night.

“It was over so quickly,” Girardi said, describing the rush of people fleeing the area. He said he was surprised that some people remained nearby afterward, with some even staying in line for food.

The partial lockdown at Harborview Medical Center has been lifted, according to hospital security.

Seattle police officers and vehicles that surrounded the hospital earlier in the evening left shortly after 9 pm. Security staffing levels at the hospital are at normal levels, security staff said.

One person was taken into custody in connection with a deadly shooting Sunday afternoon at Seattle Center, according to Mayor Katie Wilson.

Wilson had previously said in a statement that two people were taken into custody. An updated statement revised that number to one but did not explain the change.

"I’m horrified by the shooting at Seattle Center this evening during the Bite of Seattle. 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," King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said in a statement. "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," he said.

Gov. Bob Ferguson said he is receiving briefings about the ongoing response.

"My prayers are with the families of the victims, and the responders as they work to keep people safe," he said in a statement.

Two people have been taken into custody in connection with the deadly shooting at Seattle Center, according to Mayor Katie Wilson.

"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," Wilson said in a statement, calling the shooting "an act of horrific violence."

"No one should have to weigh the risk of being shot before attending an event, gathering with friends, or experiencing their city. Our first responsibilities are supporting grieving families, caring for the injured, and providing clear and accurate information for the public."

Wilson thanked Seattle police officers, firefighters and others who provided aid or helped people evacuate safely.

Harborview Medical Center spokesperson Susan Gregg provides an update on the victims of a shooting at Seattle Center who are being treated at the hospital.

Chase Hutchinson said he was standing right outside the SIFF Film Center when he heard gunshots and saw people take off running.

“Immediately I knew what it was,” he said. “It took a second for people to start running. There was this kind of surreal moment of ‘what happened?’ It all happened really, really fast.”

A kid fell down and dropped his bag; Hutchinson helped him up.

He said he couldn’t see the shooting, but based on the sound it seemed “incredibly close” to the film center, which is at the northeast corner of Climate Pledge Arena, next to the International Fountain.

Minutes before a movie ended at Pacific Science Center’s IMAX theater, the film cut abruptly and the lights came on, according to moviegoer Sean Swanson. A police officer yelled, “Come out with your hands up,” and he first thought it was directed at a suspect but realized it was for the people watching the movie. Swanson saw a dozen Seattle police officers with riot shields and guns who said it was a safe perimeter and told them to exit.  

Swanson, who lives in West Seattle, said he was “a bit in shock” and anxiously reading updates.

The Seattle Center campus includes the Pacific Science Center, the Space Needle, MoPOP, the Armory and Climate Pledge Arena. Bite of Seattle is one of the campus’ busiest annual events.

A woman who was wounded in the shooting is in critical condition and in surgery at Harborview Medical Center.

The other three patients who were taken to Harborview are in satisfactory condition, spokeswoman Susan Gregg said Sunday evening.

At least two people were killed in the shooting, according to the Seattle Fire Department.

The fire department also said it treated five other people at the scene: a woman, 40, with minor injuries; and a 39-year-old woman, a 2-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man, and a 56-year-old woman, all of whom were taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Grey Oliver, who has two tents set up to sell sunglasses, hats and more just off of Harrison Street and Fifth Avenue North, had gone inside the Bite of Seattle perimeter to use the bathroom moments before the shooting.

As he was in there waiting, he said, he heard multiple gunshots. “It was less like one, two, three and more like all at once,” he said.

He said there was panic as parents tried to grab kids out of strollers and people rushed toward the exit. Oliver said children were crying. He called the scene mayhem.

Some business operators tried to secure their areas, grabbing cash boxes and trying to turn off cooking appliances and remove food out of fryers before leaving. Oliver said he couldn't believe a shooting would happen at what he considers a "family friendly event with good vibes.”

The Seattle Center area should be avoided, police said.

Harborview Medical Center is on lockdown due to increased police activity in the area following the "mass casualty incident," according to an email sent to staff Sunday night.

Bite of Seattle — which has taken place at Seattle Center for several decades — is one of the campus' busiest annual events. Last year’s festival, which ran July 25 through 27, drew 282,000 people, according to Seattle Center’s impact report. The event featured hundreds of food and retail vendors as well as live music

Estan Wakonabo, 25, said he was at Bite of Seattle with his girlfriend when he heard gunshots.

The event had already been so packed that he and his girlfriend could not move between the crowded lines for food. When shots rung out, people began to trample each other as he and his girlfriend stayed put.

“It was just pure chaos,” he said.

He said he came back to the scene later to take photos, and saw several gunshot victims on the ground, including a body covered with a yellow sheet in front of the T-Mobile tent.

The Seattle Center Monorail will be closed for the remainder of Sunday.

Paul Skinner, 47, had just returned from grabbing drinks for his staff at his booth called Crave, which sells Filipino food, when he heard a series of pops.

“ I just heard what sounded like what were some pretty loud fireworks at first,” he said. “Then, the energy changed. Mobs of people started flooding back down. I just told our staff to get down.”