Three killed in suspected shootout in US city of Seattle, police say

Three people have been shot dead at a crowded food festival in Seattle in the United States. Four others were wounded, including a toddler, in what city police believe was a shootout involving two suspects.

One of them surrendered to police after the shooting on Sunday – the other fled.

Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis told a news conference on Sunday night that there was no ongoing threat to the public, but added that police did not have a description of the suspect who remained on the run.

“We’re still trying to figure this out,” Davis said.

Police said the suspect in custody was a “young person” but declined to provide more details.

The gunshots at the Bite of Seattle food festival beneath the famous Space Needle were heard at around 6pm local time (01:00 GMT Monday).

“What happened here today at the Seattle Center was an unbelievable tragedy and a horrific act of violence,” Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said at the news conference.

“We have far too much gun violence in this city and in this country, and we’re coming off of a week in Seattle where we’ve had three major incidents of gun violence in just a few days.”

Police said the dead were two men, aged 19 and 44, and a 56-year old woman. The wounded, including a two-year-old boy, were in a stable condition in hospital.

One of the vendors was livestreaming a promotional video when the shooting began, accidentally capturing the moments that followed. Crowds of people can be seen running as gunshots ring out.