SEATTLE — In the wake of Sunday’s deadly shooting during the Bite of Seattle food festival at the Seattle Center, more concerns about the event’s lack of security are popping up.
Multiple people posted on social media both before and after the shooting, citing concerns about the festival’s lack of security.
Many of them say they easily, and without question, wandered into the festival with bookbags, large purses, and didn’t get screened for weapons.
Caleb Mitchell tells us he is licensed to carry a concealed gun in the state of Washington and usually has it with him. He said he did bring it to Bite of Seattle.
“So as I walked in, I’m like, okay, how many other people in here have a firearm?” Mitchell said.
He said he has been coming to the Bite for several years, but this year the lack of security was jarring to him and his girlfriend.
“I’m surprised there were not more metal detectors or security,” Mitchell said.
He said they didn’t stay long because they felt the event could be unsafe.
“It’s very easy for chaos to erupt, and we were very fast; we went there on a very strict, like, ‘Hey, this is the places we want to go to, let’s get in, let’s get out’,” Mitchell said.
City officials say a 15-year-old boy was arrested on scene in relation to the shooting.
A 19-year-old boy who was killed in the shooting has been named as a second suspect, according to court documents obtained Monday by KIRO 7.
Police say a third suspect is still on the run.
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said there were no cameras near the incident to show what happened.
Now, they are asking for witness accounts to help shed light on who the third suspect might be.
This is coming at the same time Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is in hot water for wanting the city’s surveillance cameras turned off for privacy reasons. There is currently an audit looking into the use of the cameras; that report should be out in a few months.
Mitchell says he hopes the city reconsiders the camera policy after this deadly festival shooting.
“There should have been a lot more proactive protocols in step to just take care of that many people,” Mitchell said. ”It just doesn’t make sense. So it’s just about safety at the end of the day.”
If you have any information that may help in the investigation, you’re asked to call Seattle police.
©2026 Cox Media Group
