Three people were killed and four others were injured after a shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival on Sunday night.
The violence happened during one of Seattle’s major food and entertainment events. The festival had drawn large crowds when gunfire broke out, sending people running for safety.
Police believe the shooting involved two gunmen who exchanged fire. The incident quickly turned an event of food, music, and celebration into a scene of fear and confusion.
#BREAKING: A mass shooting has been reported at the Bite of Seattle food festival.
One food vendor was live-streaming when the commotion unfolded in the background. The number of victims has not yet been confirmed. 💥😳 pic.twitter.com/Ys5wTjeo45— SEATTLESUBMISSIONS (@SEATTLESUBMISS) July 27, 2026
Authorities have since arrested one person believed to be connected to the shooting. Police are continuing to investigate what led to the violence and whether anyone else was involved.
One gunman surrendered after being confronted by police, while another shooter was being sought after they fled Seattle Center, which was hosting the Bite of Seattle event, Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis said at a late-night news conference.
“There were two people who we believe were shooting at each other,” Davis said.
Seven people had been shot at the civic center complex, which is also home to the city’s Space Needle.
The three victims who died were a 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man, and a 56-year-old woman, police said in a statement early Monday morning. Two individuals died at the scene and a third died at the hospital.
Four people who were injured, including a toddler, were taken to Harborview Medical Center, the region’s top-level trauma center, where one of them died, Davis said. Hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg said the victims had injuries including gunshot wounds to an arm, a leg, the abdomen and a lower leg.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about public safety at large events. Food festivals are normally places where families, friends, and visitors gather to enjoy themselves. Instead, attendees at the Bite of Seattle were forced to deal with a terrifying situation.
“The other patients are in satisfactory condition (a pediatric male patient, a 23-year-old male and a 39-year-old female),” Gregg said by email.
Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Grace Nuñez said one patient, a 40-year-old woman with minor injuries, declined to be taken to a hospital.
Davis said the person taken into custody is “a young person,” who was being questioned. That person was the only one officers saw opening fire, he said, noting that police did not discharge their weapons during the confrontation.
While a second person fled, Davis said, “we believe that we have no outstanding threat to the community.”
Two guns were recovered at the scene, he said.
The Bite of Seattle shooting is another reminder of how quickly a public gathering can turn into a tragedy.
Sadly, for several families, Sunday will now be remembered for something far more painful.
