Seattle Space Needle shooting kills 2 near Seattle Center, officials say
Two people were killed and several were shot near Seattle's Space Needle as Bite of Seattle crowds fled, officials and witnesses said.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
2 min read
Two people were killed in a Seattle Space Needle shooting on Sunday night, according to the fire department, after police said gunfire erupted at Seattle Center and left multiple people shot.
The Seattle Police Department said on X that officers were investigating a shooting at Seattle Center and warned people to stay away from the area. Police described “multiple shooting victims” and said shots had been fired, but did not give further details on the number of people hurt, the severity of their injuries or whether anyone had been arrested.
What happened near the Space Needle?
The shooting happened at Seattle Center, the tourist-heavy complex that includes the Space Needle and Climate Pledge Arena, where the Seattle Kraken and Seattle Storm play. The Bite of Seattle food festival was taking place in the area Sunday night when the gunfire was reported.
KIRO-TV reporter Heather Bosch said she saw at least one person receiving CPR at the scene. Witnesses told the station they heard multiple shots before people began running.
Nick Bate told KIRO-TV that the sound was confusing at first. “At first, thought there were fireworks, and then everybody flooded and ran past us,” he said.
Another witness, Leanne Coles, told the station that the crowd’s movement set off her own flight from the area. “Everybody started running, and so we just ran too, and we ran through the garden and we ducked and we decided to keep running with the crowd until we got- I looked up for the Space Needle to try to keep track of where we were. It was really scary,” she said.
What is Seattle Center?
Seattle Center is one of the city’s best-known public destinations, anchored by the Space Needle and near major entertainment venues. On Sunday night, it was also hosting Bite of Seattle, a food festival that draws visitors to the area.
Police did not immediately release information about a possible suspect, a motive or the exact location within Seattle Center where the shooting began. The department’s public message asked people to avoid the area while officers investigated.
The incident prompted an emergency response in one of Seattle’s busiest visitor zones, with witnesses describing panic as people tried to get away from the sound of gunfire. Authorities had not provided additional details on the victims in the initial police update.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.