Seattle: Two people were killed and several others were injured, including a child, in a shooting incident reported at the Seattle food festival on July 26, Sunday evening, CNN reported, citing Fire officials. The shooting took place just a block from the city’s iconic Space Needle. The Seattle Fire Department said that it responded to reports of a shooting at the Seattle Centre just after 6 PM (local time).
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The fire department, in a statement, said that two people were declared dead at the scene and four others, the youngest of which was 2-years-old, were transported to a hospital. Harborview Medical Centre said all patients suffered gunshot wounds and one woman is in critical condition. The hospital added that the range of injuries for the four patients involved the arm, leg, abdomen and lower leg. Fire officials also noted that one woman declined to go to the hospital.
As per the American broadcaster, authorities have not announced details on a suspect or whether anyone has been taken into custody. The cause of the shooting is not known. The shooting incident took place as the area was hosting its annual Bite of Seattle Festival, featuring hundreds of local vendors and live music performances.
The annual festival was started in 1982 and draws 3,50,000 attendees over three days of food, drink and community celebration. Shooting at such a large gathering has raised concerns about escalating gun culture & associated catastrophes in the United States. CNN reported, citing the Gun Violence Archive, that the shooting is one of at least 271 mass shootings in the US this year.
As the Seattle police continue investigations, the department, in a post on the X social media platform advised people to avoid the area and informed that more information is to come. “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.
The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more victims are shot. Shortly after the incident was reported, the Seattle Center Monorail announced that it would be closed for the remainder of the day and would resume operations Monday morning.
Meanwhile, two witnesses attending the festival told CNN affiliate KOMO that they heard “seven to eight shots” inside the venue, adding people were running “everywhere”. Another witness spoke to King5 after the mass shooting at Seattle Center and said “I heard bang, bang, bang and I heard yelling, straight yelling”.
One more witness described that shots rang out, when he was working. “I was working, when I heard four pops,” Isiah said to a KOMO News reporter. The individual recounted that he heard “women, kids and men” screaming and he decided it was time to go. “I hopped the fence,” Isiah further said. He also said that he thought the ‘bangs’ were regular till he saw people running and screaming. The individual further praised the swift response from the Seattle Police.
(With Inputs from ANI)
