The Seattle Space Needle shooting left two people dead and at least five others injured near the iconic landmark on Sunday evening, July 26, 2026, according to CBS News. The Seattle Fire Department said two suspects were in custody, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson confirmed.
The fire department said in a statement that two people were pronounced dead at the scene after life-saving efforts were unsuccessful, CBS News reported. A 56-year-old woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition, while three other victims, including a two-year-old boy, were also brought to the hospital in stable condition. A fifth injured victim with minor injuries chose not to seek hospital treatment. A photograph published alongside CBS News’ report showed police covering a person at the scene during the festival, underscoring the scale of the emergency response that followed the Seattle Space Needle shooting. Emergency crews from the Seattle Fire Department worked to treat and transport the injured amid the ongoing festival crowd.
The Seattle Police Department said earlier Sunday on X that it was investigating a shooting with multiple victims, and urged people to avoid the area around Seattle Center, according to CBS News. The department’s statement can be viewed on X. The shooting occurred at approximately 6 p.m. local time, during peak hours for the festival crowd gathered in the area. Officers responded quickly to the scene as reports of gunfire spread through the crowd, according to CBS News.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Sunday night that several of its agents were at the scene, and that Seattle police would lead the investigation, CBS News reported. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said the state SWAT team was en route at the request of Seattle police, reflecting the coordinated multi-agency response to the incident. As of CBS News’ report, authorities had not released further details on a possible motive or the identities of the two suspects taken into custody. It also remained unclear what specific charges the two suspects might face, as the investigation was ongoing at the time of CBS News’ report.
Seattle Center, a popular tourist destination that includes the Space Needle and Climate Pledge Arena, home of the Seattle Kraken and Seattle Storm, was hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival at the time of the shooting, according to CBS News. The festival draws large crowds to the area each year, and the venue’s central location near the Space Needle made the Seattle Space Needle shooting especially alarming for visitors and vendors on site. Several witnesses told CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV they heard multiple shots before running from the scene. The area around Seattle Center remained cordoned off by police as the investigation continued into the evening.
Witness Nick Bate told KIRO-TV that he initially thought the noise was fireworks before people began fleeing around him. Another witness, Leanne Coles, told the station that people began running through a garden area and ducking for cover, adding that she looked for the Space Needle to keep track of her location amid the chaos, calling the experience “really scary.” Both accounts, gathered by CBS News’ Seattle affiliate, describe a chaotic scene as festivalgoers scattered in multiple directions once gunfire was heard. The accounts from Bate and Coles reflect the confusion that spread quickly through the crowd, with many attendees initially uncertain about the source of the noise before realizing a shooting was underway. CBS News noted that its coverage of the incident continued to be updated as more information became available from Seattle police and local authorities.
Witness Nick Bate told KIRO-TV that he initially thought the noise was fireworks before people began fleeing around him. Another witness, Leanne Coles, told the station that people began running through a garden area and ducking for cover, adding that she looked for the Space Needle to keep track of her location amid the chaos, calling the experience “really scary.” Both accounts, gathered by CBS News’ Seattle affiliate, describe a chaotic scene as festivalgoers scattered in multiple directions once gunfire was heard.
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