Au moins trois morts lors d'une fusillade lors d'un festival gastronomique à Seattle, près de la Space Needle

The Bite of Seattle is a long-running food and culture festival held annually on the Seattle Center grounds. Organizers say the event draws several hundred thousand visitors each year, with dozens of stalls offering regional cuisine, drinks and live entertainment. The festival's size and central location, immediately adjacent to some of the city's most recognizable landmarks, meant that large crowds were on site when the shooting began.

Witnesses quoted by the "Seattle Times" and other US media described scenes of sudden panic as the shots rang out, with frightened festival-goers turning and running. A reporter for the "Seattle Times" reported hearing multiple loud bangs. The atmosphere inside the normally festive event shifted within seconds as people tried to reach safety, the accounts said, with parents grabbing children and groups scattering in different directions away from the area of the shooting.

La maire qualifie la fusillade d'« act of terrible violence »

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson addressed the public in a written statement in which she called the incident an "act of terrible violence" ("Akt schrecklicher Gewalt"). She said Seattle "mourns with you," addressing victims and their families directly, and pledged that the city would stand with them "in the difficult days ahead." Wilson added that an arrest had been made in connection with the shooting, and that the circumstances of the attack remained under investigation.

"Waffengewalt verändert Familien für immer" – "gun violence changes families forever," Wilson continued in the statement. The mayor's office said the incident would be examined in the days to come and that the public would be kept informed "transparently" about the findings of the investigation. The Seattle Police Department said it would release further information as it became available.

The confirmed death toll rose during Sunday evening. Initial police statements spoke of "multiple victims," while the mayor's office and US media later reported at least three people killed. The exact number of wounded had not been finalized as of the time of writing, with hospitals in the area receiving patients from the scene and family members still being notified.

Bilan et réponse sur le terrain

The shooting took place in Washington state in the northwestern United States, in the downtown core of Seattle, near some of the city's busiest tourist sites. Police cordoned off a large section of the Seattle Center campus, and transit authorities temporarily disrupted service in the vicinity as the investigation continued into the night. Roads leading to the complex were closed, and nearby residents were asked to remain indoors while officers conducted door-to-door checks in some apartment blocks adjacent to the site.

According to the non-governmental organization Gun Violence Archive, which tracks shootings across the United States, the Seattle incident was among at least 271 mass shooting events recorded in the country so far this year in which four or more people were struck by bullets. The figure underscores the frequency with which such events occur in the United States, the group said, and renewed calls from gun-control advocates for stricter federal and state firearms legislation.

Contexte plus large : la violence armée aux États-Unis

The Bite of Seattle festival was suspended for the remainder of Sunday following the shooting, with organizers saying they were coordinating with the city and law enforcement. A crisis-response unit was deployed to the Seattle Center, and counselors were made available for festival staff, witnesses and the families of those affected. Local hospitals activated emergency protocols to receive an influx of patients.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Seattle field office said it was in contact with local authorities and stood ready to assist. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also confirmed it was sending personnel to help trace the firearm or firearms used in the attack. Police have not yet released details about the suspect, the type of weapon involved, or a possible motive.

Seattle has in recent years sought to position itself as a city with comparatively strict gun regulations, including local storage requirements and court-backed restrictions on certain firearms. The shooting is likely to reignite a debate over how effective such measures are when firearms can be brought in from elsewhere, and over the broader question of federal gun policy in a country where mass-casualty shootings have become a recurring feature of public life.

Enquête et prochaines étapes

Community groups in Seattle announced plans to hold vigils in the coming days. Faith leaders, including representatives of several downtown congregations, said they would open their buildings for private prayer and counseling sessions. The Seattle Public Schools district said additional counseling resources would be available at high schools from Monday onward for students and staff who felt they needed support.

The shooting occurred during a long weekend in the United States, with the city busy with both festival visitors and summer tourists. Hotels near the Seattle Center reported guests being moved to interior rooms as a precaution during the active investigation, and several tour operators canceled evening programming that had been scheduled to take place in and around the complex.

The Seattle Police Department urged anyone with information, photographs or video from the scene to contact its tip line. Officials said the investigation was in its early stages and that further updates would be provided at scheduled briefings. Wilson's office said the city would provide additional information once the families of the deceased had been formally notified.

The names of the victims were not released on Sunday evening. Authorities said the identification process, including notification of next of kin, would take time and asked for patience from the public and the press. In the meantime, the Seattle Center campus remained closed, and a heavy police presence was visible across the surrounding blocks well into the night.