Teen in custody after deadly Seattle Center shooting
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Police tape surrounds the Bite of Seattle festival. Photo: David Ryder/Getty Images
The gunfire that killed three people and wounded as many as five others Sunday began with two people shooting at each other during the Bite of Seattle festival, city officials said.
Driving the news: One 15-year-old is in custody in connection with the shooting, Mayor Katie Wilson said at a Monday morning press conference.
- Police Chief Shon Barnes said the second suspected shooter, who was initially believed to be at large, may be among the dead.
- "But we do not know that that is the case until we do the investigation," he said.
- Two firearms were recovered at the scene, and investigators are working to determine who fired them and what role each gunman played, police said.
Catch up quick: A 19-year-old man and a 44-year-old man died around 6pm Sunday at the scene near the Seattle Center Armory, and a 56-year-old woman died later at Harborview Medical Center, according to police.
- Four people were taken to Harborview Medical Center, per the Seattle Fire Department: A 2-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman and the 56-year-old, who later died.
- A 40-year-old woman with minor injuries declined transport to a hospital, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
- A 27-year-old male was treated at UW Medical Center – Montlake, and Barnes said investigators are working to determine whether he was wounded in the Seattle Center shooting.
As of Monday morning, all of the surviving patients had been discharged but for the toddler, who was listed in satisfactory condition, according to UW Medicine spokesperson Susan Gregg.
The big picture: Sunday's shooting comes after a string of recent shootings across Seattle, including in North Seattle and Capitol Hill, Wilson said.
- "Many people who were not physically injured will carry what they experienced yesterday with them for a long time. The terror and the trauma of gun violence reaches far beyond those who are struck by the bullets," Wilson said.
- She said the city will be expanding its gun violence reduction efforts, including adding a violence prevention expert, working with community organizations and increasing enforcement in neighborhoods most affected by gun violence.
Meanwhile: Barnes addressed reports that he was out of town when the shooting occurred, saying he was in Dallas attending the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives' 50th anniversary conference, where a Seattle pastor and a Seattle community service officer were being honored.
What's next: The 15-year-old suspect, who was slated to appear in juvenile court on Monday afternoon, is being held on suspicion of firearms violations and first-degree assault but has not been formally charged with homicide, Wilson said.