New details have emerged in the Seattle Festival Shooting Investigation after police said preliminary testing shows the bullets that killed two bystanders at a crowded food festival did not come from the gun fired by a 15-year-old suspect arrested at the scene.
The shooting happened during the final hours of the Bite of Seattle festival near the Space Needle last weekend. The violence left three people dead, including a 19-year-old suspected participant in the gunfight, and injured at least four others.
Court documents filed on Wednesday revealed that investigators tested bullets recovered from two bystanders who died during the incident. Early results showed the bullets did not match a ghost gun allegedly fired by the teenage suspect.
Police said the teen repeatedly fired the weapon into a crowd during the exchange of gunfire. Prosecutors have charged him with first-degree assault with a firearm and unlawful possession of a handgun.
Investigators believe the shooting may have been connected to gang activity. Authorities continue searching for additional suspects who may have participated in the gunbattle.
According to police, evidence collected at the scene suggests that at least four weapons were fired during the incident.
Officers recovered three guns after the shooting. However, only two of those weapons showed evidence of being fired. Investigators believe two firearms used during the gunfight were not recovered.
As a result, authorities have not yet determined which weapon fired the bullets that struck the festival attendees and killed the two bystanders.
The shooting unfolded in a crowded area filled with visitors attending one of Seattle’s largest annual food festivals.
Dozens of police officers were already stationed throughout Seattle Center to provide security for the event when gunfire erupted.
According to court records, some officers immediately heard the shots, while another officer reportedly saw the 15-year-old suspect firing a weapon.
Detective Matt Blackburn wrote that a witness described hearing gunfire and seeing people quickly duck for cover.
The witness reportedly observed a man wearing a light blue shirt begin running shortly after the first shots were fired. The witness believed the initial gunfire came from that direction.
The same witness later told investigators that he saw the 15-year-old open a bag strapped across his torso and remove a handgun equipped with an extended magazine.
According to the statement, the teen then fired several shots toward another suspect involved in the confrontation.
Police recovered two shell casings linked to the ghost gun allegedly used by the teen.
Authorities said the suspect surrendered after being confronted by a police officer.
Court documents state that while officers escorted the teenager past the body of the deceased 19-year-old suspect, he reportedly made a statement expressing affection toward him.
The King County Prosecutor’s Office is now seeking to move the case from juvenile court to adult court.
If prosecutors succeed, the teenager could face significantly harsher penalties if convicted.
Court records indicate that an adult conviction on the current charges could carry a prison sentence of approximately eight to ten years. Additional penalties related to firearm use could increase that sentence further.
However, Washington judges retain the authority to impose juvenile sentences even when a defendant is convicted in adult court.
If the case remains in juvenile court, the possible sentence would be much shorter.
The suspect’s public defender has indicated that the effort to transfer the case to adult court will be challenged.
The victims killed during the shooting have now been identified by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Authorities said the deceased bystanders were 44-year-old Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba and 56-year-old Ashley Whitehead.
The third person killed was identified as 19-year-old Junior Cee Niko Semo, whom investigators believe was involved in the gunfight.
Family members described Villalba as a devoted husband and father of three who was known for helping others whenever possible.
A fundraising campaign has been launched to assist his family with funeral expenses and other needs.
Whitehead had moved to Washington from Alabama about a year ago. Relatives said she was attending the festival with one of her adult daughters when she was struck by gunfire.
She was transported to a hospital but later died during surgery.
The investigation remains active as detectives continue examining evidence, reviewing witness accounts, and searching for missing weapons.
Police are also working to identify any additional individuals involved in the shootout.
The Seattle Festival Shooting Investigation continues to raise questions about how multiple firearms entered a crowded public event and who fired the shots that claimed the lives of innocent festival attendees. Authorities say further forensic testing and investigative work will be critical in determining exactly what happened and who may ultimately be held responsible.
