Two killed, five wounded in shooting at Seattle food festival

Two people have been killed and five others were wounded in a shooting Sunday evening during a food festival at an events complex near the Space Needle in Seattle, a city fire department spokesperson says.

Police are investigating the shooting and urged people to avoid the area just northwest of downtown.

The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. at the Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle festival.

Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg says the hospital admitted four victims, including a toddler, a 23-year-old man and two adult women.

One patient was in critical condition, she says.

The Seattle Center was hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival over the weekend.

Estan Wakonabo says he and his girlfriend were at the festival waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and he turned to see a rush of people fleeing.

“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo says, adding that was when he heard gunshots.

“Once I heard a ‘pop, pop, pop,’ that’s when I knew it was a shooter,” he says.

After he escorted his girlfriend to safety, he returned to the scene to take photos and saw multiple victims on the ground, Wakonabo says.

The annual festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees over “three days of food, drink, and community celebration,” according to its website.