The Seattle food festival shooting that turned a warm summer evening into a scene of terror has left three people dead and a city searching for answers. Investigators now believe the violence that erupted in the shadow of the Space Needle may have grown out of a confrontation between rival groups, and they say more people fired weapons that night than they first realized.

What Happened at the Bite of Seattle

Gunfire broke out around 6 p.m. Sunday, during the final hours of the Bite of Seattle, the long-running food celebration held at Seattle Center. The annual three-day event brings hundreds of vendors, retailers and performers to the sprawling downtown campus and has been a fixture of the city’s summer calendar since 1982. Organizers say it attracts roughly 350,000 visitors each year.

When the shots rang out, that crowd scattered. Some people sprinted toward the exits. Others pushed their way into nearby buildings, hoping the walls between them and the noise would be enough. Within moments, a festival built around shared meals and live music had become a crime scene.

Three people died, including one of the shooters. At least four others were wounded, among them a two-year-old boy.

Police Now Believe Multiple Shooters Were Involved

Authorities initially told the public they were looking at two shooters. That assessment changed on Monday.

In paperwork filed in Seattle’s juvenile court, police wrote that they believe at least three people opened fire: a 15-year-old boy who has been arrested, a 19-year-old acquaintance who died at the scene, and at least one additional suspect who has not been identified.

Nicole Powell, the Seattle Police Department’s assistant chief of investigations, told reporters that early evidence points toward a gang connection, with two groups exchanging gunfire in the middle of a packed public space. She stopped short of offering further detail while the investigation continues.

Dozens of officers were already working security at the festival, and police say they reached the scene within seconds. At least one officer reported seeing a suspect firing. Officers also swept an IMAX theater on the grounds, believing at one point that a second gunman had run inside.

Teenager Ordered Held in Juvenile Detention

The 15-year-old who was taken into custody waived his first court appearance on Monday. A judge ordered him held in juvenile detention while police look into allegations of first-degree assault and firearms violations.

The King County prosecutor’s office said it expects to receive the completed case file from Seattle police on Wednesday and will decide then what charges, if any, to file.

Remembering the Victims

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office released the names of the three people who died: Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44; Ashley Whitehead, 56; and Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19. Semo was the shooter who died at the scene.

Villalba was a husband and a father of three. A fundraising page created by his family to cover funeral costs described him as a generous man who rarely hesitated when someone needed help. He died from a gunshot wound to the torso. Whitehead was struck in the pelvis, and Semo suffered multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner.

At a candlelight vigil held Monday night at Seattle Center, Whitehead’s cousin Michelle spoke about a woman who filled rooms with laughter and adored her daughters, describing her as someone who lived on her own terms. She stood among dozens of mourners holding a sign reading “Whitehead Strong” while the group observed a moment of silence and lifted phone flashlights into the dark. Candles and bouquets ringed the gathering.

The four wounded survivors included the toddler, two men aged 23 and 27, and a 39-year-old woman. A hospital spokesperson confirmed all four have since been released. Court records note that one of them had been walking a bicycle when he was hit. The two-year-old was with his mother.

Confusion in the Hours After the Shooting

The department’s communication in the immediate aftermath has drawn scrutiny. Five hours passed before police publicly confirmed that one shooter was in custody and another was believed to be at large. Mayor Katie Wilson had earlier announced that two people had been detained, a claim she later withdrew.

Police Chief Shon Barnes, who was in Dallas attending a conference of Black law enforcement executives when the shooting occurred, told reporters Monday that investigators still could not say whether the second gunman was among the dead. At that briefing, neither he nor the mayor mentioned the possibility of additional shooters.

Officials defended the pace of their updates, arguing that in a fast-moving and chaotic situation, releasing accurate information matters more than releasing it quickly.

Vendors Return to a Frozen Scene

On Monday morning, food sellers were escorted back onto the campus to retrieve their equipment. What they found was the festival exactly as panic had left it: squid still skewered on grills, ducks sitting in ovens, plates of untouched food abandoned on tables. Near where the shooting happened, a dark stain remained on the ground.

Adam Lombardo, who ran a Burmese food stand, compared the rush of fleeing people to a stampede. As he packed up, he reflected on strangers who had come simply to eat and enjoy an evening together, only to lose their lives in what he called senseless violence. Police walked vendors back in so they could shut off stoves and ovens left burning.

A Neighbor Who Opened His Door

Moises Perez, 30, was cooking in his apartment beside Seattle Center when he saw people running and shouting past his window. He opened his door, heard gunfire, and began pulling strangers inside, more than a dozen of them, mostly women and children.

Perez, a construction worker who had visited the festival earlier that day, said the loss of his brother to gun violence in Mexico years ago left him unwilling to stand by. He and his roommate, 25-year-old William Large, locked the door and guided people toward the bathroom and hallway, telling them they were welcome to stay as long as they needed.

Large, who works in social services, said the people in his apartment were visibly shaken, many crying, some screaming, most gripped by fear.

About half an hour later, Perez stepped outside. He found a woman with a gunshot wound to her leg being treated by paramedics.

The investigation remains open, and police continue to ask anyone with video or information to come forward.