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SEATTLE - A judge has ordered the release of a teenage suspect charged in the deadly mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival to home detention on electronic home monitoring, overriding objections from prosecutors who argued he remains a severe threat to community safety.
SEATTLE, A police officer walks by a sign for the Bite of Seattle food festival on July 26, 2026 in Seattle, Wash. Two people are dead and multiple people are wounded after a mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle event on Sunday evening at the Seattle (David Ryder/Getty Images)
The teen suspect faces charges of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Court documents show the State is seeking to decline juvenile jurisdiction and try him as an adult.
The decision comes following a detention review hearing in juvenile court Wednesday, where the defense successfully argued for less restrictive conditions.
Bite of Seattle shooting
The backstory:
According to probable cause documents, the shooting unfolded on July 26, when the teen allegedly fired a Polymer80 9mm handgun equipped with a 33-round extended magazine indiscriminately into a crowded area of the popular food festival.
Bodycam image of a Seattle Police officer arresting a 15-year-old suspect in the Bite of Seattle festival shooting. (Seattle Police)
The incident left three people dead and four others injured. The deceased victims were identified in court records as C.V., A.W., and J.N.S., an associate of the teenager who was also armed with a Glock 45 9mm and killed at the scene. Prosecutors noted that as police removed the teen from the chaotic scene, he passed the body of J.N.S. and was heard saying, "I love you, bro."
Investigators uncovered social media footage and Instagram group chats showing the teen, J.N.S. and about eight other men gathering prior to the festival with a cache of 11 guns. Following the shooting, members of the group chat scrambled to delete references to the teen and J.N.S., with one person writing, "We can't keep losing bro."
Ballistics and ongoing evidence testing
- C.V. died from a bullet matched to the Glock 45 recovered near J.N.S., which also carried J.N.S.'s DNA.
- A.W. was killed by a projectile that lab tests excluded as coming from the teenager's Polymer80 pistol, though it remains inconclusive whether it came from the Glock 45.
- J.N.S. suffered through-and-through wounds, leaving no recovery projectiles.
- Surviving victims sustained various wounds, including a bullet fragment linked to victim Y.X. matched neither suspect firearm.
Dig deeper:
The investigation took a twist on October 12, when a food vendor near the northeast edge of the festival grounds discovered a bullet fragment while breaking down their booth the day after the shooting. Rather than contacting law enforcement directly, the vendor handed the item to a KUOW reporter. The lead detective subsequently retrieved the fragment and submitted it to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab on October 13. Those ballistic and DNA results remain pending.
A still image from a livestream capturing the crowd running from a shooting at the Bite of Seattle (Credit: @letssssgooochris)
Legal battle over detention
What's next:
Despite prosecutors emphasizing the gravity of the charges – citing Assault 1 as a "Serious Violent offense" – and arguing that the teen poses an extreme danger to the community, the court opted to modify his conditions. The teen will transition out of secure detention into home monitoring as the case proceeds toward potential adult court declination hearings.
A vigil in front of the International Fountain for the Bite of Seattle shooting victims (FOX 13 Seattle)
The Source: Information in this story comes from court documents, King County juvenile court records and original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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