15-year-old charged after mass shooting at Bite of Seattle leaves 3 dead
SEATTLE - A 15-year-old boy has been charged, accused of firing an illegal handgun into a crowd during the Bite of Seattle festival, that left three people dead and five injured.
What we know:
The suspect, who is not being named since he is a minor and not being charged as an adult, is officially charged with first-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
Charging documents detail Bite of Seattle shooting
The backstory:
The shooting happened at around 6 p.m. on the northwest side of The Armory at the Seattle Center as thousands of visitors and hundreds of vendors were still present.
A still frame of a livestream by Masae's Teriyaki captures Bite of Seattle attendees running away from a shooting.
A Seattle police sergeant who was patrolling in the area heard the gunfire and immediately moved towards the crowd, witnessing the 15-year-old repeatedly firing a handgun towards a group of people.
Police arrested the teen as he tried to walk away. Officers recovered a black 9 mm Polymer80 ghost gun — an illegal, unserialized firearm assembled from parts — with an extended magazine capable of holding 33 rounds. The magazine still had 19 bullets left in the magazine and featured a vanity rear plate reading "1 SHOT 1 KILL".
"Love you bro"
When officers led the teenager past the shooting victim Junior Niko-Semo lying on the ground, the teen allegedly called out, "Love you bro." Niko-Semo was identified as the second suspected shooter, and he died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
The shooting also claimed the lives of 43-year-old Carlos Sanchez-Villaba and 56-year-old Ashley Whitehead, who were innocent bystanders. Five others, including a two-year-old child, suffered gunshot wounds.
Police evacuated the Seattle Center grounds and tended to the injured victims. Investigators located 13 fired shell casings at the scene, and based on preliminary findings, believe four handguns were involved.
However, only three handguns were recovered from the scene. This includes the 15-year-old's handgun, a Glock Model 45 9mm pistol with a 40-round magazine (contained 21 remaining rounds), and an RO compact 9mm with a standard magazine, which was not believed to be fired.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 26: Police officers keep watch after a mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival on July 26, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. Two people are dead and multiple people are wounded. Seattle mayor Katie Wilson said one sus (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
Third shooter remains unidentified
Dig deeper:
The 15-year-old suspect and Niko-Semo were associates, engaged in a gunfight with a third, unidentified suspect. A witness told investigators that an unidentified man in a light blue top fired the initial gunshots before running away.
Seattle police have not released any details on the third suspect's identity. Investigators are reviewing bodycam footage to try and identify the third shooter.
Court filings do not state what triggered the gunfire, though police said the shooting was likely gang-related.
What's next:
Seattle police are continuing their investigation and reviewing every piece of evidence that was recovered and documented after the shooting.
The 15-year-old suspect remains in juvenile detention, with his next court hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Seattle Police Department's Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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The Source: Information in this story came from court documents filed in King County Superior Court and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.