Two people have died in a shooting during a food festival in Seattle, USA. Five other people including a child were injured. The incident occurred in the final hours of the ‘Bite of Seattle’ festival, which was held near the Space Needle. Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Grace Nunez gave this information. The shooting took place around 6 pm on Sunday evening. Police have started investigating the area and have appealed to people to stay away from the incident site in the north-west part of the city. It is not yet clear whether anyone has been detained or not. A person present there said, “We were returning from a food stall when the firing took place.”
**One woman among the injured is in critical condition**
The two victims died at the scene, according to Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Grace Nunez. Five injured people were taken to Harborview Medical Center. The condition of one of them, a 56-year-old woman, is critical. A 2-year-old child, a 23-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman are said to be in stable condition, while another 40-year-old woman suffered minor injuries.
Following the shooting, a large number of police officers and emergency teams arrived at the scene and began evacuating the area around the Seattle Center Events campus. Authorities have not yet clarified where exactly on the festival grounds the shooting occurred; The event included both outdoor and indoor arenas.
**Governor deployed state SWAT team to assist**
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said he was being kept constantly informed about the incident. State Patrol SWAT officers have also been deployed to assist local police. “My thoughts are with the families of the victims and all those working to keep the public safe,” Ferguson said.
**People were eating when the firing took place**
“My friend and I had just returned from a food stall when the shooting started. We realized the shooter was right next to us,” said festival goer Faith Adia Hunter. Hunter continued, “We were right next to it when it started. We ran into a building with the crowd. I and a few other people took shelter in the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum.” In the chaos that followed the firing, many food vendors left their stalls and ran away. Even hours after the incident, some vendors were still waiting outside the police cordon for permission to take back their tents, food and cooking equipment.
**Vendor says the first sound sounded like fireworks**
Roberto Ramirez, who set up a stall at the festival, said he initially heard a sound like fireworks. Then, people started shouting that someone was shooting, and chaos broke out as the crowd fled. “Suddenly, the place was empty. People were scared. Even after the initial chaos, new people kept coming to the festival who had no idea what was going on,” Ramirez said. Aston Wakonabo was standing in line for a photo booth with his girlfriend when someone pushed them from behind. Turning back, he saw a crowd of people running wildly. Wakonabo described the scene: “People were hiding, pushing each other and falling to the ground. Then I heard a shot.” After getting his girlfriend to safety, Wakonabo said he wanted to return to the scene of the incident. According to him, he saw many injured people lying on the ground there and also took their photographs.
Seattle Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal condemned the incident.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who represents Seattle, condemned the shooting at Seattle Center. “Our hearts go out to all those affected by this senseless violence,” he wrote on social media. Jayapal said he has been in touch with Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Governor Bob Ferguson. Coordination is being done at many levels of the government to gather information about the situation. He appealed to people to stay away from the area while the investigation is ongoing.
Food festival is happening since 1982
The ‘Bite of Seattle’ food festival started in 1982. According to the festival’s website, the three-day event includes food and drinks as well as a variety of activities. Around 3,50,000 people participate in it.