SEATTLE — Authorities reported on Monday that at least three suspects were involved in a deadly shootout over the weekend at a bustling food festival near Seattle’s iconic Space Needle. One of the suspects was confirmed to have died during the violent altercation.
According to a document presented in a Seattle juvenile court, a 15-year-old involved in the incident waived his initial court appearance. Police suspect there were at least three shooters: the teenager, an acquaintance who was killed on the scene, and “at least one other unknown suspect.”
Speaking at a news conference, Nicole Powell, Assistant Chief of Investigations with the Seattle Police Department, suggested the shooting could have been gang-related, as two opposing groups exchanged gunfire. The shooter who lost his life was identified as a 19-year-old.
The juvenile court judge ordered the 15-year-old to remain in juvenile detention on charges related to firearms violations and first-degree assault. Officials from the King County prosecutor’s office anticipate receiving the case by Wednesday to determine formal charges.
The gunfight broke out around 6 p.m. on Sunday, during the closing hours of the Bite of Seattle festival. The chaotic event resulted in three fatalities and injuries to at least four others, including a toddler. Known for attracting hundreds of vendors and performers, the annual three-day festival at Seattle Center, near the Space Needle, turned into a scene of panic as many attendees sought cover in nearby buildings or fled the area upon hearing gunshots.
Officials provided confusing statements about the shooting
News that there were at least three suspects followed a series of confusing statements from city officials concerning the shooting.
On Sunday, the police department waited five hours to share with the public that one shooter had been arrested and that they believed another to be on the loose. Earlier, Mayor Katie Wilson had announced two people were in custody, a statement she retracted.
At a news conference before the court hearing Monday, Police Chief Shon Barnes said investigators weren’t sure if the second shooter was among the dead. Neither he nor the mayor made any reference to additional shooters. Barnes had been out of town Sunday, attending a conference of Black law enforcement executives in Dallas.
The officials defended their handling of the case, saying they were trying to ensure they provided accurate information about chaotic events.
The victims included a father of three
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday identified the dead as Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44; Ashley Whitehead, 56; and Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19.
Villalba was a husband and father of three known for his kindness and willingness to help others, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched Monday to help his family with funeral expenses. He died from a gunshot wound to his torso, while Whitehead died from a gunshot to her pelvis and Semo died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner’s office.
The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, who was in satisfactory condition Monday. The others – two men, ages 23 and 27, and a woman, 39 – were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said.
One of the victims was walking a bicycle when struck, the court document said. The toddler was with his mother.
Vendors were allowed to clean up Monday
Vendors were allowed to return to the campus Monday morning to collect their equipment. Skewered squid on grills, roasted ducks in ovens and plates full of food were among the items left behind as people fled.
Near the spot of the shooting, a stain of what appeared to be blood was still visible. A candlelight vigil was planned Monday night at the center’s International Fountain.
Dozens of officers were providing security at the event and responded in seconds, at least one observing a suspect firing, authorities said. Police searched an IMAX theater on the grounds where they initially believed a second shooter had fled.
Adam Lombardo, who had a Burmese food stand at the festival, described the panic of fleeing people as a “stampede.” As he gathered his equipment Monday, he described how police escorted food vendors back to the crime scene to turn off their ovens and stoves.
“It’s really sad because you think that three innocent people aren’t getting up with their families,” he said. “They just came to enjoy a food festival with people, with friends, with new friends, and they lost their lives in just what sounds like meaningless bloodshed.”
Attendees describe chaos at a joyful event
Festival attendee Faith Adia Hunter said she and her friends had just gotten food from a crepe vendor when gunfire broke out. They sheltered in the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum.
“We were about to start eating, then heard someone yell something, then we saw people start to run,” Hunter said. “So we took off running, too.”
Moises Perez, 30, was cooking in his apartment next to the Seattle Center when he spotted people running and yelling outside his window. When he opened his door, he heard gunshots and started ushering more than a dozen people, mostly women and children, inside.
“I was like, ‘OK, we need to help these people,'” said Perez, a construction worker who had attended the food festival that morning. He said losing his brother to gun violence in Mexico years ago made him determined to help the people trying to get to safety.
He and his roommate, William Large, 25, made sure the door was locked and started directing people to the bathroom and hallway, and told them they could stay as long as they needed.
“They were definitely in shock. I know that a lot of people were crying, people were screaming, people were just in complete fear,” said Large, who works in social services.
About 30 minutes later, Perez walked out to see what had happened. He found a woman shot in the leg being helped by emergency officials.
The festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees, according to its website.
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Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes, Hallie Golden and Lindsey Wasson in Seattle; Annika Wolters in Bangkok; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
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