At least two people were killed and five wounded in a shooting at a bustling food festival in Seattle on Sunday night, according to police and news reports.<\/p>\n
Police did not immediately say what precipitated the shooting or how many people were wounded. But local news outlets, citing fire officials, reported that seven people had been struck during the incident, two fatally. The BBC<\/a> reported that the wounded included a 2-year-old boy, who was transported to a hospital and was considered stable.<\/p>\n Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson confirmed to local media that police had arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting. In a statement, Wilson called the shooting an \u201cact of horrific violence\u201d and pledged to support the families of the victims. <\/p>\n \u201cNo one should have to weigh the risk of being shot before attending an event, gathering with friends, or experiencing their city,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n Gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. in an events complex close to the the Space Needle, which was was teeming with revelers attending a food festival called the Bite of Seattle. <\/p>\n In the hours that followed, footage of the panicked scenes that followed began surfacing on social media. One clip circulating online showed a vendor livestreaming<\/a> from inside his booth when another man cuts him off, yelling, \u201cShooting! Shooting!\u201d Both men duck for cover while the camera records other bystanders scrambling over a fence to get away from the threat.<\/p>\n On X<\/a>, Seattle police urged people to avoid the area around the Seattle Center.<\/p>\n The two deceased victims were pronounced dead at the scene, according to local news reports. The four victims who were taken to a nearby trauma center were reportedly the 2-year-old, a 39-year-old woman, a 23-year-old man and and a 56-year-old woman. Another person who was struck by gunfire declined to be transported to a hospital. <\/p>\n During a news conference Sunday evening, a hospital spokesperson said that three of the victims, including the toddler, were in \u201csatisfactory\u201d condition, while one of the women was rushed into surgery in critical condition.<\/p>\n Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were at the festival waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and turned to see a rush of people fleeing.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,\u201d Wakonabo said, adding that that was when he heard gunshots.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce I heard a \u2018pop, pop, pop,\u2019 that\u2019s when I knew it was a shooter,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n After he escorted his girlfriend to safety, he returned to the scene to take photos and saw multiple victims on the ground, Wakonabo said.<\/p>\n