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A vigil was held at Seattle Center on Monday evening to remember the victims of the Bite of Seattle shooting that left three dead. 

The three people who died in Sunday's shooting were identified by the King County Medical Examiners Office Monday.

A photo of victim Ashley Whitehead and family inside a purple hydrangea wreath. 

A wreath for Ashley Whitehead. Photo: David Ryder/Getty Images

Two bouquets with a card that reads "For Carlos + Ashley You deserved better."

Flowers and cards. Photo: Photo: David Ryder/Getty Images

A candle with the words "LLJ I love you."

A candle at Monday's vigil. Photo: David Ryder/Getty Images

Hundreds gathered around the International Fountain to light candles, lay flowers and read the victims' names aloud. 

People gather in front of a row of candles to remember the victims of the Seattle Center shooting. 

Gathering to grieve. Photo: David Ryder/Getty Images

Seattle mourns Seattle Center shooting victims

A vigil at Seattle Center brought hundreds together after officials identified the three people killed.

A row of lit candles along a low wall to remember the victims of the Seattle Center shooting. 

A vigil for the victims. Photo: David Ryder/Getty Images

A vigil was held at Seattle Center on Monday evening to remember the victims of the Bite of Seattle shooting that left <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="three dead" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/07/28/bite-of-seattle-festival-shooting-three-suspects-investigation-police" data-vars-content-id="28126c16-ac0b-4b28-9d7c-f2eabec3a802" data-vars-headline="Seattle mourns Seattle Center shooting victims" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/07/28/bite-of-seattle-festival-shooting-three-suspects-investigation-police" target="_self">three dead</a>. The three people who died in Sunday&#x27;s shooting were <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="identified" data-vars-click-url="https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/WAKING-4226175?wgt_ref=WAKING_WIDGET_1917" data-vars-content-id="28126c16-ac0b-4b28-9d7c-f2eabec3a802" data-vars-headline="Seattle mourns Seattle Center shooting victims" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/WAKING-4226175?wgt_ref=WAKING_WIDGET_1917" target="_blank">identified</a> by the King County Medical Examiners Office Monday.

News

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.

Teen in custody after deadly Seattle Center shooting

Officials say the second suspected shooter may have been among those killed.

Police tape surrounds the Bite of Seattle festival entrance with the Space Needle in the background after after a shooting at Seattle Center killed three people and wounded several others. 

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, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="city officials said" data-vars-click-url="https://www.seattlechannel.org/eventLive" data-vars-content-id="2dabd94e-c923-4831-bebc-e91022c0eb5d" data-vars-headline="Teen in custody after deadly Seattle Center shooting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.seattlechannel.org/eventLive" target="_blank">city officials said</a>.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.

Forget about pitching the tent. The hardest part of camping in Washington can be getting a campsite — which can require reservations months in advance.

The big picture: Now, there's an app to make last-minute camping feel possible again.

Driving the news: West Coast software engineer Daniel Maynard built Camp Sage —  a free campsite finder — that skips the booked sites and shows only campgrounds with reservations actually available.

A quick search Wednesday morning found dozens of bookable campsites across Western Washington in August, many within two hours of Seattle.

How it works: The web-based tool searches public reservation data from state parks, Recreation.gov and other public campground systems, then displays available sites on an interactive map.

It lists only sites with at least two consecutive available nights and lets users filter for weekend trips, group campsites and Wi-Fi availability.

Thought bubble: After nearly giving up on finding a campsite this year, I took the app for a spin and snagged a riverside site at Dosewallips State Park — one of my favorites!

Screenshot of the Camp Sage interactive map showing available campgrounds across Western Washington. Labeled locations include Dosewallips State Park, Kitsap Memorial State Park and Dash Point State Park.

Zoom in: The idea came after Maynard and his wife struggled to book a family camping trip to Big Sur.

He realized campsites open up all the time when people cancel — they're just difficult to find because reservation websites require users to search campground by campground and date.

"If you've got a free weekend, you can just look at the map and decide where to go," Maynard told Axios.

What they're saying: "Damn that's awesome. I get a headache using the WA site," a user known as Bitter Basket wrote after Maynard posted about the app in a Washington state forum on Reddit.

"Agreed — just used the WA site to book a campsite and it was exhausting," responded Nikkifat.

The bottom line: Camping isn't supposed to require military-level planning.

The last-minute hack campers needed

Camp Sage tracks cancellations across public campgrounds so you can book trips without months of planning.

Illustration of a tent, trees, backpack and wooden sign made of plastic building blocks.

Forget about pitching the tent. The hardest part of camping in Washington can be getting a campsite — which can require reservations months in advance.The big picture: Now, there&#x27;s an app to make last-minute camping feel possible again.

Closer

Axios Closer

While Americans may be reading fewer books these days, there's a plot twist: Bookstores are staging a comeback.

Why it matters: Once left for dead in the wake of Amazon's rise and the death of Borders, Barnes & Noble and independent booksellers have pulled off a stunning turnaround, opening new stores and reporting higher sales.

Yes, but: Bookstores have never really gone out of style in Seattle, which has been ranked America's Most Well-Read and is one of just two U.S. UNESCO Cities of Literature.

Zoom in: Some longtime Seattle bookstores, including Elliott Bay Book Company and Magus Books, are now being joined by new chain locations and independent sellers.

At the recently opened Barnes & Noble downtown, bookseller Becca Lovell tells Axios that Seattle readers are excited to have another bookstore option in the neighborhood.

The big picture: Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt is widely credited with reviving the chain by giving local managers more freedom to stock books their communities actually want to read. 

In Seattle, that means fantasy and science fiction are among the strongest sellers, Lovell says.

Interior of a Barnes & Noble bookstore with shelves of new fiction and nonfiction books displayed beneath large signs.

Seattle's new Barnes & Noble. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios 

Between the lines: As AI reshapes how people consume information, bookstores have become more than places to buy books, says Peggy Stover, a University of Iowa business marketing professor.

Increasingly, people are seeking out places to socialize that don't revolve around alcohol or algorithms. 

Gen Z is also leading a push to bring back analog experiences and a "feeling of nostalgia," Stover tells Axios. 

By the numbers: The number of U.S. bookstore companies rose 70% from 2021 to 2025, per the American Booksellers Association.

73% of booksellers recorded a sales increase in 2025.

Data: American Booksellers Association; Chart: Nathan Bomey/Axios

Reality check: 36% of Americans say they're reading fewer books than they did a decade ago, according to a CBS News poll conducted in June.

Only 23% are reading more, while 40% are reading about the same.

The bottom line: You can judge this book by its comeback.

Seattle bookstores turn a fresh page

New bookstores are opening as Seattle's longtime reading culture meets a nationwide retail revival.

Illustration of a row of books with an awning hanging over the top.

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

While Americans may be <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reading fewer books" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/08/ai-america-literacy" data-vars-content-id="bdf0cc6b-f3dd-44d3-997b-95f6a39ae134" data-vars-headline="Seattle bookstores turn a fresh page" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/08/ai-america-literacy" target="_self">reading fewer books</a> these days, there&#x27;s a plot twist: Bookstores are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="staging a comeback" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/03/bookstores-barnes-noble-james-daunt" data-vars-content-id="bdf0cc6b-f3dd-44d3-997b-95f6a39ae134" data-vars-headline="Seattle bookstores turn a fresh page" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/03/bookstores-barnes-noble-james-daunt" target="_self">staging a comeback</a>.Why it matters: Once left for dead in the wake of Amazon&#x27;s rise and the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="death of Borders" data-vars-click-url="https://www.annarbor.com/business-review/borders-liquidation-chapter-11-ann-arbor-bookstore-chain-borders-group-e-books/" data-vars-content-id="bdf0cc6b-f3dd-44d3-997b-95f6a39ae134" data-vars-headline="Seattle bookstores turn a fresh page" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.annarbor.com/business-review/borders-liquidation-chapter-11-ann-arbor-bookstore-chain-borders-group-e-books/" target="_blank">death of Borders</a>, Barnes &amp; Noble and independent booksellers have pulled off a stunning turnaround, opening new stores and reporting higher sales.

Latest news on Wall Street, Corporate America and financial regulation.

Business

Police now believe three people were involved in Sunday's deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival, including one suspect who died at the scene and another who remains at large.

Driving the news: Investigators believe the shooting could be gang-related, although the investigation is ongoing, Nicole Powell, the Seattle Police Department's assistant chief of investigations, told reporters Monday afternoon.

The latest: Officials said they have identified a 19-year-old man who died at the scene as one of the suspected shooters and are now searching for a third possible suspect.

Another 15-year-old remains in custody in connection with the shooting, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Powell said it appears the 15-year-old and the 19-year-old were "associates."

Detectives are "still collecting and reviewing video evidence" from buildings around the Seattle Center Armory building, outside of which the shooting occurred, Powell said.

Catch up quick: In addition to the 19-year-old,  a 44-year-old man died at the scene near the Armory around 6pm Sunday, 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 27-year-old male was treated at UW Medical Center – Montlake. Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said investigators are working to determine whether he was wounded in the Seattle Center shooting.

As of Monday evening, all of the surviving patients had been discharged, with the 2-year-old boy the last to be released, UW Medicine spokesperson Susan Gregg told Axios.

What's next: Seattle police are asking anyone who witnessed the shooting or took video footage to call the violent crimes tip line at 206-233-5000.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with information about the surviving toddler's release from the hospital. 

Third suspect sought in Bite of Seattle shooting

Officials identified one suspected shooter who died and say another possible suspect remains at large.

A Seattle police officer walks past police tape surrounding the Bite of Seattle festival after Sunday's deadly shooting at Seattle Center.

The aftermath of a shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival Sunday that killed three. Photo: David Ryder/Getty Images

Police now believe three people were involved in Sunday&#x27;s deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival, including one suspect who died at the scene and another who remains at large.Driving the news: Investigators believe the shooting could be gang-related, although the investigation is ongoing, Nicole Powell, the Seattle Police Department&#x27;s assistant chief of investigations, told reporters Monday afternoon.

Christine Clarridge

Featured stories

The last-minute hack campers needed

Seattle bookstores turn a fresh page

Seattle mourns Seattle Center shooting victims

Third suspect sought in Bite of Seattle shooting

Teen in custody after deadly Seattle Center shooting