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New 911 calls reveal chaos of deadly shooting at Seattle’s Bite of Seattle festival
ReNew 911 calls reveal chaos of deadly shooting at Seattle’s Bite of Seattle festival
Newly released 911 calls capture the frantic moments after a deadly shooting at Seattle’s Bite of Seattle festival last month, as victims pleaded for help and dispatchers worked to assess the scene. Three people were killed and four wounded, including a 2-year-old boy.
Newly obtained 911 calls are shedding light on the chaotic and deadly shooting that struck Seattle’s Bite of Seattle festival last month, capturing the desperate pleas of victims and the frantic response of dispatchers as they tried to make sense of a scene with multiple people down.
“I’m losing blood,” one caller, who said they had been shot in the back, told a dispatcher. The caller said they did not know who opened fire. “I don’t know who did it. I took cover. I see the officers down here,” the caller said. The dispatcher tried to keep the wounded person calm as help was sent toward the water fountain where the caller was believed to be waiting. “It’s okay. Just breathe. Breathe with me. I’m going to stay with you,” the dispatcher said. Moments later, the caller said they were with an officer.
Other emergency transmissions capture dispatchers and first responders working to assess the scope of the unfolding violence near the Seattle Center Armory. “Multiple people down at this point,” one dispatcher said when asked whether anyone had been shot. As reports continued to come in, another dispatcher requested “as many aid units as possible,” saying there were at least two people down — “but more than that.” Emergency crews initially treated the area as an active scene while officials worked to determine whether it was safe for responders to enter. “Let’s treat that as an active scene for now,” a dispatcher said. A dispatcher later said there were “six confirmed gunshot wounds” amid the chaotic response.
The shooting erupted last month outside the Seattle Center Armory during the Bite of Seattle food festival, near the Space Needle. Three people were killed and four others were wounded, including a 2-year-old boy, authorities previously said. The dead included a 19-year-old man and a 44-year-old man who were pronounced dead at the scene. A 56-year-old woman later died after she was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Seattle police have offered few public updates on the investigation. Interim Police Chief Andre Sayles said earlier this month that investigators had developed new information and expected to make an arrest, but he declined to disclose details. “I think the biggest thing is, you know, it’s going to cause a little bit of frustration, is the integrity of this investigation,” Sayles said Aug. 7. “There’s some information that we have. I want to make sure that we keep the integrity of that investigation close to the vest until we can make the appropriate arrest.”
A 15-year-old suspect remains in custody in connection with the shooting. The teen was booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of firearms violations and first-degree assault. No homicide charges had been filed as of the most recent update. Former Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said investigators believed gunfire was exchanged outside the Armory after a conflict involving small groups believed to be at odds with one another, leaving bystanders caught in the crossfire. Investigators initially believed two gunmen were involved. But a juvenile-court document later indicated the detained teen and an acquaintance who was found dead at the scene may have exchanged gunfire with at least one other, unidentified suspect.
Mayor Bruce Harrell called the shooting “an act of horrific violence.” “Impacted families are living through the worst moment of their lives, and an entire community is trying to understand how a gathering built around culture, connection, and joy ended in gunfire,” Harrell said at the time. “No one should have to weigh the risk of being shot before attending an event, gathering with friends, or experiencing their city,” he added. The Mayor’s Office said in a statement that the administration “continues to work closely with the Seattle Police Department to ensure information about critical events reach the public.”
