A judge ordered that a 15-year-old boy be held in juvenile detention on Monday. The teenager is allegedly linked to a gunfight at a Seattle food festival which resulted in three deaths and at least four injuries. Prosecutors indicate the gunfight involved the boy, a 19-year-old man who died at the scene, and potentially another person. There are suspicions of gang-related activity.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson informed that police are still investigating the number of people involved. She stated, “We now know that at least two people exchanged gunfire outside the Seattle Center Armory. One is in custody, and the second has been identified as the 19-year-old deceased man.” Authorities will review video footage and analyze bullet casings, pursuing further leads via tip lines for more clarity.
The 15-year-old faces charges including three counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. This is his first involvement in a criminal case in the county, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson, Casey McNerthney. Public defender Hong Tran offered no comments on the arrest.
The prosecutor’s office will receive preliminary investigation details by Wednesday and decide on formal charges shortly thereafter. The officials identified the teenager and the 19-year-old as “associates.”
The King County medical examiner named the deceased victims: Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19, from multiple gunshot wounds, Ashley Whitehead, 56, from a gunshot wound to the pelvis, and Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, from a gunshot wound to the torso. Four others were wounded but are stable.
Officers documented the 15-year-old firing a handgun into the crowd during the Bite of Seattle festival. A police officer was less than 100 feet away and witnessed the events, as stated in a probable cause affidavit. The teenager was detained shortly after, and the 19-year-old was found dead from a gunshot wound. Another possible suspect is being searched for, announced Mayor Wilson.
Nicole Powell, assistant chief of investigations for the Seattle Police Department, believes the shooting possibly involved two groups firing, suggesting gang-related activity. The investigation continues.
Witnesses mistook gunfire sounds for firecrackers. Social media videos revealed chaos, with attendees sprinting and stumbling to escape the shots. Hana Kim, a food vendor from New York helping her family at the festival, ensured her parents’ safety as chaos ensued. “My first instinct was to make sure my parents were safe,” she expressed. Kim shared how some individuals sought refuge under her family’s tent.
“Everybody else abandoned everything — phones, wallets, cash boxes. Food was still on the grill,” Kim described the hectic scene.
People were thankful for the shelter provided by Kim’s stall. A woman contacted the family to express gratitude for their safety during the incident. Kim remains in shock from this tragic event.