SEATTLE, Washington, July 27, 2026 (UPI) — Authorities in Seattle said three people were killed and at least four others were wounded in a shootout that erupted Sunday evening during the city’s annual summer food festival held near the ç.
Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Grace Nunez told UPI crews responded to reports of a shooting shortly after 6 p.m. PDT at Seattle Center, where the three-day Bite of Seattle food festival was being held.
Two people were declared dead at the scene, Nunez said. A third person later died at the hospital, Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis said in a late Sunday update.
Authorities said three adults and a 2-year-old boy were transported to Harborview Medical Center, where a fifth victim suffering from a gunshot wound later arrived on their own.
In his update, Davis said one of the hospitalized victims had died. The three of the four surviving victims were in stable condition, he said.
Davis said all seven victims suffered gunshot wounds when “two people who we believe were shooting at each other.”
Police working the event heard gunshots at about 6:01 p.m. and confronted one of the gunmen who “gave up and was taken into police custody,” Davis said, describing the suspect only as “a young person.”
Officers were looking for at least one other suspect in the shooting, he said, calling on members of the public with information to come forward.
Two weapons were recovered by police at the scene, authorities said.
“We have far too much gun violence in this city and in this country and we’re coming off a week in Seattle where we’ve had three major incidents of gun violence in just a few days,” Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said during the late Sunday press conference.
“We have a lot of work to do as a city and as a country to make this better.”
The Seattle Police Department was investigating.
“Please avoid the area,” the Seattle Police Department said in an online statement.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said he was receiving updates on the shooting. He added that the Washington State Patrol SWAT team was on its way to assist with the investigation at the request of the Seattle Police Department.
“My prayers are with the families of the victims, and the responders as they work to keep people safe,” he said.
Sunday was the final day of the Bite of Seattle, which attracts about 350,000 people over its three-day run, according to its website.
