Three people were killed and four others wounded on Sunday in a shooting at a food festival in Seattle, the authorities said.
The shooting occurred at Seattle Center, which was hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival and is also home to the Space Needle, the Seattle Police Department said.
The wounded included a boy who was approximately two years old, the Seattle Fire Department said.
The police were searching for one suspect and had another in custody, Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis said at a news conference late Sunday. He said the police believed two people had been shooting at each other at the festival.
He did not name the suspect in custody or disclose their age, but he said the suspect was a “young person.” He did not provide information about a potential motive.
The police had not ruled out the possibility that there were more suspects, Assistant Chief Davis said, adding that there was no outstanding threat to the community.
Two guns had been recovered, he said, though he did not provide details about their make. It was unclear whether the victims had any relation to the suspects, he said.
Gov. Bob Ferguson of Washington said in a statement on social media that the police had requested assistance from the Washington State Patrol SWAT team.
Fire crews responded to reports of a shooting at Seattle Center just after 6 p.m., the fire department said in a statement. They attempted lifesaving efforts on two patients but both were declared dead at the scene, it said. They also treated five other patients whose injuries ranged from minor to serious.
Four of the victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center, the statement said. The two-year-old was in stable condition, and the other patients were approximately 23 to 56 years old, it added.
Earlier on Sunday, a spokeswoman for Harborview Medical Center said that all four patients had suffered gunshot wounds. Three of the patients were in satisfactory condition, she said, while one adult female patient was in surgery and in critical condition.
The police said late Sunday that the patient in critical condition had died of her injuries.
Mayor Katie Wilson said in a statement that the incident 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,” she said.
The Bite of Seattle festival has been running since 1982, according to its website. Over 350,000 people attend the three-day event each year.
This year’s festival, which ran from Friday to Sunday, included over 300 food and merchandise vendors.
Justice Beitzel, 52, said she was at the Bite of Seattle festival with friends when she heard gunshots. She said the music suddenly stopped and people ran toward her, ducking and hiding behind trees.
She grabbed her friend and hid behind a picket fence until the incident was over, she said in a phone interview. “We helped console those who were still shaking,” Ms. Beitzel said.
Rachel Costa, 49, a visitor from Brazil, was walking through the festival when gunshots rang out. She said she and about 20 other people ran and barricaded themselves inside Fisher Pavilion, an event facility at Seattle Center, until the authorities eventually called for them to leave the building.
“I’ve never felt so scared in my life,” Ms. Costa said.
