Gunfire at Seattle Festival: Dozens Injured, Mass Panic
Two people were killed and five were wounded in a shooting at the annual Bite of Seattle food festival near the Space Needle. The attack occurred around 4:00 AM Israel time, with rapid gunfire directed at the crowd. Emergency services evacuated the wounded, police closed the area and launched a search. The festival was halted entirely.
Two people were killed and five were wounded on Monday in a shooting at the annual Bite of Seattle food festival at the Seattle Center complex in Washington. The incident began around 4:00 AM Israel time, when gunfire erupted toward the crowd near the Space Needle. At approximately 6:00 PM local time, explosions were heard followed by rapid, continuous shooting. The crowd fled in panic, with witnesses describing a mass stampede where visitors jumped over the wounded and trampled each other. Police closed the area and began extensive searches. The nearby IMAX theater stopped its screening as officers instructed viewers to exit slowly. Harborview Medical Center announced readiness to receive casualties. The food festival, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, was completely halted. The monorail suspended operations until the search concluded.