Multiple victims reported in Seattle Center shooting at Bite of Seattle

Seattle Police Department said a shooting at Seattle Center on Sunday night left multiple victims during Bite of Seattle, the annual food festival held on the grounds near the Space Needle. Officers asked the public to avoid the area as they responded to the scene at 305 Harrison St in Seattle.

Bite of Seattle had been scheduled for July 24-26, 2026, with free admission and festival hours from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Seattle Center listed the event among its festivals, and a June 27 Center Spotlight post said, “Bite of Seattle is back for the summer!”

Police did not release victim names, an exact count or suspect information in the initial update. The shooting took place at one of Seattle’s most visible civic gathering places, where open-air crowds, food vendors and family visitors are part of the draw and also part of the security challenge when violence breaks out in a public space.

The episode raises immediate questions for event security at major civic festivals across the country, especially at open campuses with multiple access points and heavy pedestrian traffic. At Seattle Center, the practical concerns are straightforward and urgent: how quickly police can reach a crowded venue, how organizers communicate danger to people already inside, and how public spaces built for celebration can be secured when gunfire interrupts them.