A shooting that left three people dead in Seattle may have erupted when rival gang members opened fire on one another, according to sources.
Families fled in panic Sunday evening after gunfire rang out at Seattle Center, where crowds had gathered as the city’s annual Bite of Seattle food festival was getting underway.
According to local independent journalist Jonathan Choe, sources have told him that the shooting was targeted and potentially gang related.
The Seattle Times reported that multiple people appeared to be firing at each other during the violence.
Speaking to reporters after the attack, Seattle Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis said the people involved seemed to have been shooting at one another.
When asked whether the department’s gang unit had been brought in, Davis said several detectives were at the scene, including members of the homicide and gun violence reduction units.
Police said one person has been detained in connection with the shooting, identifying the suspect only as a “young person.” A person was seen being led away by officers after the incident, but officials have not released further details.
Davis added that another suspect is believed to have run from the area, though authorities do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public.
Two victims died at the festival site, while five injured people were treated by emergency crews who rushed to the scene shortly after 6 p.m.
Families were sent running for their lives after gunfire broke out on Sunday night at the Seattle Center
A possible suspect is detained by police following the shooting on Sunday evening
Four of those victims – a two-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man and two adult women – were then rushed to a local hospital where one of them died from their injuries.
Two weapons were also recovered from the scene, leading authorities to believe the two suspects were shooting at each other.
One food vendor caught the first shots ringing out in a livestreamed video from the scene which showed how quickly it descended into chaos.
A man with Hawaiian Honey Cones was seen showing off his product to a live stream when a fellow employee yelled out ‘shooting’.
‘Shooting, oh s***,’ the man taking the livestream video replied, as people, including families with young children, started running.
Several gunshots could be heard in the background as festivalgoers ran for their lives, breaking down a small fence in the process.
The video then ends with the live streamer telling his employee to grab their cash register and tip jar.
Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were at the festival when he was shoved from behind and he turned to see a rush of people fleeing.
One food vendor caught the first shots ringing out in a livestreamed video from the scene which showed how quickly it descended into chaos
He told the Associated Press: ‘People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling.
‘Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that´s when I knew it was a shooter,’ he said.
After he escorted his girlfriend to safety, he returned to the scene to take photos and saw multiple victims on the ground, Wakonabo said.
The annual festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees over ‘three days of food, drink, and community celebration,’ according to its website.
In a statement, Mayor Katie Wilson said: ‘What happened at the Seattle Center today was an act of horrific violence.
‘No one should have to weigh the risk of being shot before attending an event, gathering with friends, or experiencing their city.
‘Our first responsibilities are supporting grieving families, caring for the injured, and providing clear and accurate information for the public.’
She thanked first responders, adding: ‘Gun violence changes families forever. Its trauma reaches far beyond the people struck by bullets.
‘In the days ahead, we will establish what happened and be transparent with the public about what we have learned.’
