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Police now believe at least three people were involved in the gunfire that erupted at a crowded food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle over the weekend, with one of the suspected shooters among those killed.
Three people were killed in the shooting, including two who died at the scene and a third who later succumbed to injuries at a hospital. Four others were injured, including a toddler.
Investigators said the shooting involved more than the two suspects initially identified. Police allege the shooters included a 15-year-old who was arrested in the case, an acquaintance who was killed at the scene, and “at least one other unknown suspect” who has not yet been identified. The 15-year-old did not appear for a scheduled initial court hearing on Monday.
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The 15-year-old suspect was being held in juvenile detention on suspicion of firearms offenses and first-degree assault ahead of a scheduled court appearance. The teenager did not appear for the hearing on Monday, though officials did not immediately explain the reason for the absence.
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said Monday at a press conference that “small groups” of young people “that appear to be at odds with each other in our city” were driving gun violence.
Caleb Mitchell, 30, told Newsweek early on Monday that he posted a video on TikTok, where he uses the handle "leebotracks," raising concerns about the lack of security measures after visiting Bite of Seattle with his girlfriend on Friday.
In the video, he claimed attendees were able to enter the annual food festival held beneath Seattle’s Space Needle with "no security, no pat down, no search to the bag."
Newsweek has contacted Bite of Seattle for comment via an email sent outside regular business hours.
Mitchell, an artist who also owns a marketing agency, said the festival had numerous entry points with no security checks.
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"The first thing we noticed was we could just walk straight in through the parking lot," he said.
His concern was heightened because he was able to bring a handgun, which he said he has a license to carry, into the festival.
"It was shocking," he said. "Because if I wasn't checked, that means how many other people here have firearms?"
Mitchell said he had purchased the weapon because of safety concerns.
"If there's no security checkpoint and it comes down to where I have to defend myself and the people that I'm with, I have an opportunity to," he said. "If there's a checkpoint and I see it, I'm going back to my car, I am safely securing it in the lock box, and going back without my firearm."
Mitchell said there were security guards at the festival, but he viewed the number as insufficient. As someone with experience hosting events, Mitchell said the city requires event hosts to have at least three to four guards for every 100 attendees.
"For the amount of people that were there, it seemed like there was only two or three people every, like 200 to 300 yards. You would hardly see any security walking around," he said.
Mitchell added that he would not attend the Bite of Seattle festival in the future even if security measures were ramped up.
"There should have been a statement out within hours, apologizing or just letting people know to stay safe, stay covered. There have not been any statements," he said.
"So due to that, I just feel like there's not really a lot of love for the people. And my intentions when I made that video was out of a sense of safety and support for the people."
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Mitchell also addressed the shooting in a video posted late on Sunday night.
"I tried to let everybody know how security was being handled," he said in the video. "Nobody can say I didn't try to let people know. People really were bashing me in my comment sections on the previous videos."
He told Newsweek: "The type of backlash that I got was I was not man enough, I was scared, and that I am just trying to make a viral video." He added: "As a Black man, I just think that it's important to put safety first."
It is unclear what security measures were in place at the festival. Last year, organizers said they had a "strong record of security" after a vendor complained about a break-in.
Bite of Seattle began in 1982 and draws more than 350,000 attendees over "three days of food, drink, and community celebration" at the Seattle Center, according to its website.
Seattle Shooting Updates
News that investigators now believe at least three suspects were involved in the shooting came after a series of conflicting public statements from city officials in the hours and days following the attack.
On Sunday, Seattle police waited roughly five hours before announcing that one suspected shooter was in custody and that another might still be at large. Earlier that day, Mayor Katie Wilson had incorrectly stated that two people had been taken into custody. At a news conference Monday, held just hours before a 15-year-old suspect was scheduled to appear in court, Barnes said investigators were still uncertain whether a second suspected shooter was among those killed. Neither Barnes nor Wilson referenced the possibility of additional suspects at that time. Barnes had been in Dallas on Sunday attending a conference of Black law enforcement executives.
City officials have defended their response, saying they delayed releasing information in an effort to ensure details about the chaotic incident were accurate.
Authorities identified the shooting victims as two men, ages 19 and 44, and a 56-year-old woman.
Four others were injured, including a 2-year-old boy who remained in satisfactory condition Monday. The remaining victims — two men, ages 23 and 27, and a 39-year-old woman — were treated and released, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Court documents suggest several victims may have been uninvolved bystanders. One person was struck while walking a bicycle through the area, while the toddler was with his mother when the gunfire erupted.
By Monday morning, what appeared to be a bloodstain remained visible near the site of the shooting. A candlelight vigil was scheduled for later that evening at the Seattle Center’s International Fountain to honor the victims.
Authorities said dozens of officers were already assigned to provide security for the festival when the shooting occurred, and some witnessed one of the suspects firing a weapon. A large police and emergency response quickly converged on the scene as officers evacuated the area. Investigators also searched an IMAX theater within the Seattle Center complex after initially believing a second suspect had fled there.
Reaction to Seattle Shooting
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, whose district includes Seattle Center, said she was “absolutely horrified” by the shooting and noted that officials were “coordinating across all levels of government.” “My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and our whole Seattle community,” she wrote on X.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson noted the shooting came during a week in which the city had “three major incidents of gun violence in just a few days,” adding: “We have far too much gun violence in this city and in this country.”
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Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson also addressed the shooting, saying: “Our hearts go out to everybody who’s impacted by this. I can’t imagine being the parent of a two‑year‑old toddler, for example, who’s injured in a shooting like this.”
Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray issued statements expressing condolences and thanking first responders.
Davis told reporters that police did not have a description of the outstanding suspect.
"This is going to be an ongoing investigation," he said. "We’re going to be out here for several hours."
He said the responding police officers had acted quickly to prevent further injuries.
"This is a tragedy. I’m really sorry that this happened. The Bite of Seattle is a very positive event. We haven’t had any issue in recent years," Davis said. "Thankfully, we had officers on the scene that were brave, went to those shots and prevented more victims from being injured."
He added that the officers "heard the shots and confronted the suspect that they saw actually shooting and stopped that shooting from continuing." No officers fired their weapons, Davis said.
Davis couldn’t say if any of the victims were involved in the confrontation.
Davis said officers arrived “within seconds,” provided emergency aid before fire crews arrived, and recovered two firearms at the scene. Police said they did not yet have a description of the outstanding suspect.
Newsweek has contacted the Seattle Police Department, the Seattle Fire Department and the mayor's office for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Tony Phillips
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