At least two people were killed and five others, including a two-year-old child, were wounded on Sunday (local time) in a shooting at a food festival in Seattle, according to local news outlets.
Police said multiple people were shot in the US city's downtown area on Sunday evening.
"Please avoid the area," the police said on X, referring to Seattle Center, where the Bite of Seattle food festival was being held. "Police are investigating a shooting. Multiple shooting victims. Shots fired at the Seattle Center," the police department stated..
The Seattle Times and local TV station KOMO reported two people were killed and five were wounded, citing the Seattle Fire Department.
Witnesses reported hearing several shots around 6 pm, The Seattle Times reported.
Purported videos of the deadly shooting circulated online, with one of them showing first responders attending to a woman lying on the ground.
A hospital said four people – a toddler, a man, and two women – were admitted there following the shooting. One of them was in critical condition, a hospital official, cited by the Associated Press, said.
Following reports of the shooting, a large number of police and emergency personnel were rushed to the scene around 6 pm. An evacuation was, subsequently, initiated.
One of the attendees at the food festival said he and his girlfriend were waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind. He said he turned to see a rush of people fleeing.
"People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling," Estan Wakonabo was cited as saying by AP, adding that was when he heard gunshots.
"Once I heard a 'pop, pop, pop', that's when I knew it was a shooter," he said.
Wakonabo said he returned to the scene to take photos after escorting his girlfriend to safety. He said he saw multiple persons on the ground.
The annual festival was first held in 1982. It draws as many as 3,50,000 attendees over "three days of food, drink, and community celebration," its website claims.
Source: Reuters