Bullets that killed 2 at Seattle festival weren't recovered from teen shooter's gun, police say

ByGENE JOHNSON and HALLIE GOLDENAP logo
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 11:24PM
Shootout that killed 3 at food festival near Seattle's Space Needle may have been gang-related
Police said they believe there were at least three shooters, rather than two: the 15-year-old, an acquaintance who died at the scene and "at least one other unknown suspect."

Bullets recovered from two bystanders killed during a shootout at a Seattle festival last weekend do not appear to have come from the gun that a 15-year-old arrested at the scene was firing, police said in court documents filed Wednesday.

The King County prosecutor's office filed charges of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement as well as unlawful possession of a handgun by someone under 18. In a statement supporting the charges, police said the teen was seen firing an untraceable ghost gun into a crowd, but preliminary testing of bullets recovered from two bystanders killed showed they did not match that weapon.

A woman places flowers at a memorial for victims of a July 26 shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Seattle.
A woman places flowers at a memorial for victims of a July 26 shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Seattle.
AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Shell casings found at the scene of Sunday's shooting indicate four weapons were fired during the shootout.

Police say a 19-year-old suspect involved in the shooting was shot and killed at the scene. Police have been trying to identify at least one other person involved in the shooting. The statement did not indicate who might have fired the bullets that killed the bystanders.

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