Authorities have identified 19-year-old Junior Cee Niko Semo as one of the suspected gunmen in the fatal shooting at Seattle’s Bite of Seattle food festival, as investigators continue searching for at least one additional suspect. Court documents say Semo died at the scene after exchanging gunfire with a 15-year-old suspect during Sunday’s shooting at Seattle Center. Police believe the incident involved at least three shooters and are investigating it as a possible gang-related confrontation.
The gunfire killed three people, including Semo, and injured five others.
The other two victims have been identified by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office as Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, who died at the scene, and Ashley Whitehead, 56, who died in hospital after being taken to Harborview Medical Center. Officials ruled all three deaths homicides.
Among those injured were a two-year-old boy, a 39-year-old woman, a 23-year-old man, a 27-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman. Authorities said all those taken to hospital have since been discharged, while the 40-year-old woman declined hospital transport after sustaining minor injuries.
Police say a 15-year-old suspect has been arrested and is being held at the Clark Children and Family Justice Center on suspicion of three counts of first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm. The teenager did not appear in court on Monday. A charging decision is expected on Wednesday, with the next court hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Investigators believe Semo and the 15-year-old were shooting at one another and are searching for “at least one other unknown suspect” believed to have fled the scene. No description of the third suspect has been released, and police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Assistant Chief Nicole Powell said investigators “believe this could be gang related”, adding that it remains unclear whether any of the victims were connected to the confrontation.
According to investigators, the first shots were fired shortly before 6:00 p.m. on Sunday as thousands of people attended the annual food festival, which featured hundreds of vendors and performers.
A police report filed with King County Superior Court states that a police sergeant responded to the sound of gunfire and saw a boy carrying a handgun and firing into the crowd from less than 100 feet away. The officer did not witness how the shooting began but took the teenager into custody.
A witness working as a caricature artist told investigators he saw another suspected gunman, described as a man in his late teens or early twenties wearing a black jumpsuit, firing what appeared to be a handgun fitted with an extended magazine.
The shooting triggered panic across the festival grounds, with people fleeing in multiple directions. Witnesses said crowds took cover behind vendor stalls, carts and trees, while others ran into nearby restaurants and businesses for shelter. Social media posts also reported injuries caused by people being trampled or knocked over as they escaped.