2026 Seattle Center shooting
Mass shooting in Washington, US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On July 26, 2026, a mass shooting occurred during the Bite of Seattle festival at Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington, United States. Three people were killed and four others were wounded.[1][2] One suspected shooter was taken into custody, while police searched another suspect; one of the perpetrators was killed in the shooting.[3]
Seattle Center
Seattle, Washington, US
| 2026 Seattle Center shooting | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | 47°37′21″N 122°21′09″W Seattle Center Seattle, Washington, US |
| Date | July 26, 2026 c. 6:00 p.m. (PDT; UTC-07:00) |
Attack type | Mass shooting, shootout |
| Deaths | 3 (including one perpetrator) |
| Injured | 4 |
No. of participants | 3 |
Background
Bite of Seattle is an annual food festival held at the Seattle Center. The festival began in 1982 and attracts food and retail vendors, performers and hundreds of thousands of visitors over three days.[2]
Shooting
The shooting occurred at approximately 6 p.m. on July 26, during the final hours of the three-day festival. The Seattle Police Department stated that preliminary evidence indicated two individuals exchanged gunfire in the crowded festival area, striking multiple bystanders.
Two were pronounced dead at the scene, and five others were initially reported wounded. A wounded victim later died at Harborview Medical Center. The three people killed were Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba (aged 44), Ashley Whitehead (aged 56), and Junior Cee Niko Semo (aged 19).[4][5] The four surviving victims were hospitalized in stable condition. The four surviving victims include a two-year-old boy and three adults.[6][7]
One suspected shooter surrendered to police at the scene and was taken to Seattle Police Department Headquarters for questioning. The other fled, and a search of the Seattle Center grounds did not locate them.[2]
Investigation
Police continued to search for a second suspect and have not released a description as of July 27. Police said that they did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson initially stated two suspects were in custody, but her office later corrected the statement, stating only one person had been detained.[8][9][10][11][1] Police have stated that they believe there were "at least three shooters".[12][6]
Detectives from the Seattle Police Department's Homicide Unit and Gun Prevention Unit were assigned to the investigation. Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have also been assigned to the investigation to support local law enforcement.[5][2]
Two days after the shooting, police said that the 15-year-old suspect was armed with a 9 mm extended magazine ghost gun from Polymer80 during the shooting. Police had additionally recovered two other weapons from the scene and located 14 shell casings that had been fired by weapons with two different calibers.[13]
The shooting is believed by investigators to be gang related, and that one of the fatalities, Junior Cee Niko Semo, had exchanged gunfire with the 15-year-old suspect before he was killed by multiple gunshot wounds.[14]
Response
Police and security officers assigned to the festival heard the gunfire and responded within seconds of the shooting. According to Assistant Seattle Police Chief Daniel Harris, officers witnessed one of the suspected shooters firing.[2] Officers rendered emergency aid to the wounded before Seattle Fire Department personnel arrived. Washington governor Bob Ferguson deployed members of the Washington State Patrol Special Weapons and Tactics team to assist local authorities.
While emergency personnel treated the victims and police secured the area, parts of Seattle Center were evacuated,[15] including from the Pacific Science Center.[11] Multiple attractions around the Seattle Center temporarily closed in the aftermath of the shooting, as well as the Seattle Center Monorail.[16] The Harborview Medical Center was placed on partial lockdown amid heavy police presence in the area.[11]
