On a summer Sunday in Seattle, a gunman opened fire into a crowd celebrating food and community in the shadow of the Space Needle, killing two and wounding five — among them a two-year-old boy. The Bite of Seattle festival, a ritual of civic pleasure, became in an instant a scene of flight and grief. A suspect was taken into custody, but the deeper questions of motive and meaning, as they so often do, lingered beyond the night.
2 killed, 5 wounded in shooting at Seattle Center food festival
Two people killed and five wounded, including a two-year-old boy in stable condition; one victim in critical condition undergoing surgery.
She looked up at the Space Needle to keep track of where she was
Mark
What was it like for people who were actually there when it happened?
Mimi
The witnesses describe a kind of sensory confusion at first—some thought the sounds were fireworks. Then came the animal instinct to run. One woman said she looked up at the Space Needle to figure out where she was going, which tells you something about how disorienting it was.
Mark
A two-year-old was among the wounded. How do you even process that detail?
Mimi
You don't, really. You just state it. A two-year-old was there with family, probably excited about the food festival, and ended up in a hospital bed. The fact that the child is in stable condition is the only mercy in that sentence.
Mark
Why does the location matter so much here?
Mimi
Because the Seattle Center isn't some abstract venue. It's the Space Needle. It's where tourists go. It's where families go on summer evenings. It's supposed to be safe, public, watched. That's what makes this particular violence land differently.
Mark
The 56-year-old woman—what do we know about her trajectory after the shooting?
Mimi
She went from serious condition to critical condition. She's in surgery. She'll go to the ICU. Her outcome is still uncertain. That's the reality of a gunshot wound in a crowded place—even with immediate medical response, survival isn't guaranteed.
Mark
What happens next in a story like this?
Mimi
The investigation deepens. Authorities figure out who the suspect is, what motivated them, whether there were warning signs. The community processes what happened. And the Seattle Center reopens, eventually, and people have to decide whether they feel safe going back.
Le Pouls
- A gunman fired into a packed summer festival crowd at Seattle Center around 6 p.m., killing two people and wounding five, including a toddler.
- Witnesses first mistook the shots for fireworks — then the crowd broke into a panicked run, people ducking through gardens and scanning the skyline to find their bearings.
- A 56-year-old woman was rushed into surgery in critical condition, while a two-year-old boy and three others were hospitalized in stable condition.
- Seattle police, ATF agents, and Washington state SWAT converged on the scene rapidly, with a suspect already in custody by the time the mayor spoke publicly.
- The Seattle Center — home to the Space Needle, two professional sports arenas, and thousands of daily visitors — was evacuated and sealed off as a crime scene by Sunday night.
On a summer Sunday in Seattle, a gunman opened fire into a crowd celebrating food and community in the shadow of the Space Needle, killing two and wounding five — among them a two-year-old boy. The Bite of Seattle festival, a ritual of civic pleasure, became in an instant a scene of flight and grief. A suspect was taken into custody, but the deeper questions of motive and meaning, as they so often do, lingered beyond the night.
Sunday evening at Seattle Center, a gunman opened fire into the crowd gathered for the Bite of Seattle food festival, killing two people and wounding five others. The shooting began around 6 p.m., shattering what had been an ordinary summer gathering in one of the city's most beloved public spaces. A suspect was taken into custody before authorities arrived in force, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson confirmed.
Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. A 56-year-old woman was transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition and taken into surgery. Three others, including a two-year-old boy, were also brought to Harborview and listed as stable. A fifth person with minor injuries declined treatment.
For those present, the moment of violence arrived without warning. Witness Nick Bate initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks. Leanne Coles described a sudden surge of bodies moving at once — she ran through the garden, ducking, using the Space Needle above her to find her direction. "It was really scary," she said.
The response was swift and layered: Seattle police led the investigation, ATF agents deployed to the scene, and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson confirmed the state SWAT team was en route at the city's request. By nightfall, the Seattle Center — built for celebration, for community, for the pleasures of a summer evening — had become a crime scene, its grounds secured as investigators began the work of understanding what had happened, and why.
Sunday evening at the Seattle Center, in the shadow of the Space Needle, a gunman opened fire into a crowd gathered for the Bite of Seattle food festival. Two people were killed. Five others were wounded. By the time authorities arrived, a suspect was already in custody, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said.
The shooting happened around 6 p.m., turning what had been an ordinary summer evening at one of the city's most recognizable public spaces into a scene of chaos and fear. The Seattle Fire Department confirmed that two victims were pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts. A 56-year-old woman was transported to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition; she would later be listed in critical condition and taken into surgery, with plans to move her to the Intensive Care Unit afterward. Three additional victims, including a two-year-old boy, were also brought to Harborview, all listed as stable. A fifth person with minor injuries declined hospital treatment.
The Seattle Center draws thousands of visitors on any given day. It houses the Space Needle, the city's most iconic landmark, along with Climate Pledge Arena, home to the Seattle Kraken hockey team and the Seattle Storm basketball team. The Bite of Seattle festival is an annual draw, filling the grounds with families, tourists, and locals sampling food from local vendors. Witnesses described the moment the shooting began as disorienting—some thought the sounds were fireworks at first. Then came the rush.
Nick Bate, who was at the festival, told local media he initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks before the crowd around him suddenly scattered. Leanne Coles described the panic more vividly: everyone began running at once, and she and her companions ran through the garden, ducking as they moved with the crowd. She looked up at the Space Needle to orient herself, trying to figure out which direction to go. "It was really scary," she said.
Law enforcement response was swift and coordinated. The Seattle Police Department posted on social media that it was investigating a shooting with multiple victims at the Seattle Center and urged people to avoid the area. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives deployed agents to the scene, though Seattle police would take the lead on the investigation. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said the state SWAT team was en route at the request of Seattle police.
By Sunday night, the Seattle Center—a place designed for gathering, for celebration, for the ordinary pleasures of a summer evening—had become a crime scene. The investigation was underway, the area was being secured, and authorities were collecting accounts from the hundreds of people who had been there when the shooting began. A suspect was in custody, but the full scope of what had happened, and why, remained to be determined.
Citations marquantes
At first, thought there were fireworks, and then everybody flooded and ran past us— Nick Bate, witness
Everybody started running, and so we just ran too... It was really scary— Leanne Coles, witness
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur CBS News ↗
Health & Medicine