15-year-old arrested at Seattle food festival shooting was armed with a ghost gun, police say

Michelle Whitehead, right, and her sister Judy Whitehead, left, both cousin of victim Ashley Whitehead, during the vigil for victims the day after a shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Monday, July 27, 2026, in Seattle. Credit: AP/Lindsey Wasson SEATTLE — The 15-year-old arrested after a shootout at a food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle over the weekend was armed with a ghost gun with an extended magazine, police said Tuesday. Police Chief Shon Barnes told a news conference that the weapon was a 9 mm gun from Polymer80 — a now-defunct company that was once a leading manufacturer of ghost gun parts. Investigators also recovered two other weapons and 14 shell casings that had been fired by weapons of two different calibers, he said.

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Scoop News DeskSeattle, Washington · Published Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 9:31 PM UTCUpdated Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 1:03 AM UTC

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The shooting in the waning hours of the three-day Bite of Seattle festival left three people dead, including a 19-year-old gunman, and at least four people injured, including a toddler. The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, two men, ages 23 and 27, and a woman, 39, all of whom were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said.

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