Seven Shot by Man at Bite of Seattle Festival; Suspect in Custody

SEATTLE - Gunfire erupted Sunday evening at the annual Bite of Seattle food festival at Seattle Center, wounding multiple people, including a child according to witnesses. A person of interest was detained, and the sprawling campus was evacuated amid a major police response.

The shooting occurred around 6 p.m. local time on July 26, 2026, near the fountain area in the central grounds of Seattle Center, close to the Armory and within the heart of the festival. Witnesses reported hearing seven or eight rapid gunshots as large crowds of festival goers panicked and fled. Seattle Police Department confirmed "multiple shooting victims" and "shots fired at the Seattle Center," advising the public to avoid the area while officers secured the scene and collected evidence.

Large numbers of police and emergency personnel arrived shortly after 6 p.m. near Sue Bird Court and Thomas Street. Guests were evacuated from the Seattle Center grounds, with some sheltered at the Seattle Armory. The Seattle Center Monorail was closed for the remainder of the day. Victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center, which went on lockdown due to the increased police activity related to the mass-casualty incident.

Witness accounts described scenes of chaos. Estan Wakonabo, 25, who was attending with his girlfriend, said the event was already densely packed. When the shots rang out, people began trampling one another. "It was just pure chaos," he said. He later returned and reported seeing several gunshot victims on the ground, including one covered with a yellow sheet near a T-Mobile tent.

Shooting suspect taken into custody by Seattle police at Seattle Center

Paul Skinner, 47, who operates a Filipino food booth called Crave, said he initially mistook the sounds for loud fireworks. "Then, the energy changed. Mobs of people started flooding back down. I just told our staff to get down," he recounted. Another attendee, Kayla Carris, 22, said people suddenly rushed indoors: "Everyone just dropped everything and ran. Literally everyone." Witnesses told reporters they saw at least six people shot, with a child among the injured. Some early reports referenced approximately six wounded.

Videos shared on social media showed a person being escorted away in handcuffs amid the police response. A person of interest was detained in connection with the incident. Early accounts from the scene included statements that a shooter might still be outstanding or that additional individuals could be involved, but authorities indicated at least one person had been taken into custody. Official details on the number of suspects, any motive, or formal charges remained limited as of early Monday morning.

Seattle Police Department has not yet released an official confirmed victim count, the severity of injuries, or the identities of those involved. The investigation was ongoing, with officers examining evidence and interviewing witnesses in the crowded environment.

**What is the Bite of Seattle?**

The Bite of Seattle is one of the city's longest-running and most popular annual summer food festivals. Founded in 1982 by local restaurant owner Alan Silverman (then president of Festivals, Inc.), it began as a way to encourage people to dine out during the economic recession of the early 1980s. The inaugural event was held at Green Lake Park with 25 restaurants and an expected crowd of about 25,000; it drew roughly 75,000 attendees.

Since 1986, the festival has been based at Seattle Center, the 74-acre campus that is also home to the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and other cultural attractions. Over the decades it has grown substantially. It typically features hundreds of food and retail vendors (more than 200–300 in recent years), live music performances on multiple stages (Fountain Lawn, Mural, and Fisher Green stages), cooking demonstrations, craft beer and cider tastings, and family-friendly activities. A percentage of sales often supports Seattle Center operations.

Admission has traditionally been free. The 2026 edition ran Friday through Sunday, July 24–26, with hours generally from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Organizers expected more than 350,000 visitors across the three days; recent years have drawn crowds in the range of 280,000 to over 400,000. It was voted "Best Food Festival" in the United States in both 2016 and 2017. The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned in 2023 under new management.

The festival is known locally simply as "The Bite" and serves as both a major community gathering and a platform for independent chefs and food businesses to reach large audiences. Prohibited items typically include weapons, large bags, coolers, and drones, in line with Seattle Center campus rules.

This remains a developing story. Further official updates from the Seattle Police Department on the victims' conditions, the suspect or suspects, and the circumstances of the shooting are expected as the investigation progresses.