A vendor was filming at the Bite of Seattle food festival when panic broke out behind him – one suspect has since been arrested and another is being sought after three people were killed
A live streamer filming at a food festival captured the horror moment gunshots rang out as people fled a mass shooting. The influencer vendor from Hawaiian Honey Cones was telling followers he was “one viral video away from 100,000 subscribers” when the incident unfolded behind him at the annual Bite of Seattle event.
Three people were killed aand police have arrested one suspect with another one still at large. In the video, posted on X, the streamer can be seen telling people he’s 2,000 subscribers short of his milestone target as people start running for their lives.
He looks behind him and then says: “a shooting? right here? get down, get down.” He then tells his colleagues: “Get the register and the tips,” as he continues to film the panic.
He was calling for more subscribers when the horror broke out(Image: hawaiianhoneycones/Tiktok)
Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis stated that detectives currently have no description of the remaining suspect. Investigators in Washington state believe the two suspects were firing at each other and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The shooting broke out around 6pm local time (2am BST) during the final hours of the Bite of Seattle, an annual festival attracting hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers.
Among the wounded was a two-year-old boy, with the rest of the injured being adults, as reported by Grace Nuñez, a spokesperson for the Seattle fire department.
Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg revealed that the victims sustained injuries to the arm, abdomen or legs.
A significant number of police and emergency crews responded and began evacuating the area surrounding the expansive Seattle Centre events campus.
One food vendor was live-streaming when the commotion unfolded in the background(Image: hawaiianhoneycones/Tiktok)
Authorities have not disclosed the exact location of the shooting within the event, which featured both outdoor and indoor areas.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson stated he was receiving briefings and State Patrol Swat officers were dispatched to assist local police.
He tells his colleagues to ‘get down’(Image: hawaiianhoneycones/Tiktok)
“My prayers are with the families of the victims, and the responders as they work to keep people safe,” Mr Ferguson expressed in a statement.
Amid the pandemonium of the shooting, numerous vendors fled towards the exits, leaving behind their food stalls. Hours later, some lingered beyond the police cordon, uncertain when they would be permitted back to retrieve their marquees, provisions and catering equipment.
Roberto Ramirez, a trader at the event, said he heard what resembled fireworks before people started shouting “shooter” and desperately fleeing.
Police at the scene
“Suddenly everything was empty,” he said. “People were freaked out.”
Following the initial chaos, fresh arrivals kept turning up, oblivious to what had occurred, and were instructed by officers to depart, he said.
The yearly festival began in 1982 and attracts 350,000 visitors across “three days of food, drink, and community celebration”, according to its website.
