Police arrest 15-year-old after Seattle festival shooting that killed 3

A suspect arrested after a shooting that killed three people and left at least four others injured at a food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle over the weekend is 15 years old, the city’s mayor said Monday.

The teen was being held in juvenile detention for investigation of firearms violations and first-degree assault and was due to appear in court Monday afternoon, Mayor Katie Wilson said at a news conference.

Authorities are still looking for a second suspect.

Investigators believe the two suspects were shooting at each other and, although one remained at large, Seattle’s assistant police Chief Tyrone Davis told a news conference Sunday night that there was no ongoing threat to the public.

Police did not have a description of the outstanding suspect, he said, adding, “We’re still trying to figure this out.”

Police did not immediately respond to phone and email messages early Monday.

Two people died at the scene and a third died in the hospital. They were described as two men, ages 19 and 44, and a 56-year-old woman.

The four wounded, including a two-year-old boy, were hospitalized. The boy was in satisfactory condition Monday. The others — two men, ages 23 and 27, and a woman, 39, were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said.

Davis couldn’t say Sunday night whether any of the victims were involved in the confrontation.

Vendors who fled and abandoned their booths were cleaning up Monday. A candlelight vigil was planned Monday night at the center’s International Fountain.

Guests ‘took off running’

The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. Sunday in the waning hours of Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers.

Dozens of officers were providing security at the event and some saw one of the suspects firing, Davis said. One suspect surrendered at the scene, but the other fled.

A large number of police and emergency crews responded and began evacuating the area around the sprawling Seattle Center campus.

Faith Adia Hunter said she and her friends had just gotten food from a crepe vendor when gunfire broke out.

“We were about to start eating, then heard someone yell something, then we saw people start to run,” Hunter said.

“We were right next to him when it started, so we took off running,” Hunter said.

In the scramble to find safety, she said she and others ran into the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum.

In the chaos, many vendors bolted toward the exits, abandoning their food stands. Hours later, some milled outside the police tape, wondering when they would be allowed to collect their tents, food and cooking gear.

Vendor Roberto Ramirez said he heard what sounded like firecrackers before people began yelling “shooter” and frantically running.

“Suddenly everything was empty,” he said. “People were freaked out.”

After the initial panic, new guests continued to arrive unaware of what had happened and were told by police to leave, he said.

Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and turned to see a rush of people fleeing.

“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said, adding that was when he heard gunshots.

“Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” he said.

After he escorted his girlfriend to safety, Wakonabo said he returned to the scene to take photos and saw multiple victims on the ground.

The festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees, according to its website.