At least 4 people including a child were wounded in shooting at a Seattle festival, hospital says

SEATTLE — Two people were killed and five others were wounded in a shooting Sunday evening during a food festival at an events complex near the Space Needle in Seattle, a city fire department spokesperson said. Police were investigating the shooting and urged people to avoid the area just northwest of downtown. The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. at the Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle festival. Harborview Medical Center spokesperson Susan Gregg said the hospital admitted four victims including a toddler, a 23-year-old man and two adult women. Scene at Seattle Center in Seattle Sunday, July 26, 2026, where a mass shooting has been reported. (Nick Wagner/The Seattle Times via AP) Scene at Seattle Center in Seattle … more > One patient was in critical condition, she said. The Seattle Center was hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival over the weekend. A large number of police and emergency crews responded around 6 p.m. and began evacuating the area. Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were at the festival waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and he turned to see a rush of people fleeing. “People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said, adding that was when he heard gunshots. “Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” he said. After he escorted his girlfriend to safety, he returned to the scene to make photos and saw multiple victims on the ground, Wakonabo said. Police respond to a shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Seattle, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Police respond to a shooting at … more > The annual festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees over “three days of food, drink, and community celebration,” according to its website. Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC.