A judge ordered a 15-year-old held in juvenile detention in connection with a gunfight at a crowded Seattle food festival that killed three people and injured at least four others. Prosecutors said the gunfight involved the 15-year-old, a 19-year-old man who died at the scene and possibly a third person.
Investigation Ongoing
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said police continue to investigate what happened and how many people were involved. The 15-year-old is being held on suspicion of three counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a semi-automatic rifle.
Prosecutors expect to receive initial details of the police investigation on Wednesday and to make a formal charging decision soon after. The King County Medical Examiner released the names of the dead, including Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19, Ashley Whitehead, 56, and Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44.
Some witnesses said they confused the sound of gunshots with firecrackers. In video posted to social media, dozens of attendees could be seen running from the bullets and stumbling over one another as they fled.
Community Reaction
Food vendor Hana Kim watched in horror as some people took cover under her family’s tent. She heard people yelling and saw some run toward the commotion, frantically searching for loved ones. Kim, who flew to Seattle from New York to help her family at the festival, said she “hit the ground” so hard while shielding herself that her knee bled.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
