- Multiple people injured in a shooting at Seattle's food festival near Space Needle
- Police are investigating the shooting with no confirmed suspects or exact victim count
- Victims were taken to Harborview Medical Centre for treatment
At least two people were killed and five others were wounded in a shooting at a food festival in Seattle, United States, just a block from the city's iconic Space Needle, police said. It was unclear if police had anybody in custody for the mass shooting at Seattle Center.
"Police are investigating a shooting. Multiple shooting victims. Shots fired at the Seattle Center. More information to come. Please avoid the area," the Seattle Police Department said in a post on X.
The gunfire erupted around 6 pm (est) at the Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle festival. Victims have been transported to Harborview Medical Centre, according to a Seattle Times report.
The shooting happened at the time Seattle Centre was hosting its annual Bite of Seattle festival, featuring hundreds of local vendors and live music performances.
A video of the incident has emerged on social media, showing the moment shots were heard in the busy arena and the chaos that followed.
Eyewitnesses told CNN affiliate KOMO that at least "seven to eight shots" were heard inside the venue, adding that people were running "everywhere."
Another witness told Seattle Times that the event was so packed to begin with that people could barely move between the crowded lines for food.
Estan Wakonabo, 25, said when the shots were heard, people began to trample each other. "It was just pure chaos," he said.
Wakonabo told the publication that he returned to the scene later to take photos and saw several gunshot victims on the ground, including a "body covered with a yellow sheet."
The annual festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees over “three days of food, drink, and community celebration,” according to its website.
