Seattle Holds Candlelight Vigil for Food Festival Shooting Victims
A candlelight vigil in Seattle honored the three people killed and the others injured in a gunfight at the Bite of Seattle food festival, while fundraising efforts raised money for the victims' families.
Seattle residents gathered at a local fountain on Monday for a candlelight vigil to remember the three people killed in a gunfight at the Bite of Seattle food festival the previous day. Mayor Katie Wilson and Police Chief John Smith addressed the crowd, condemning the violence and expressing sympathy for the families.
The deceased were identified as 19-year-old Junior Cee Niko Semo, 44-year-old Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba and 56-year-old Ashley Whitehead. GoFundMe pages for Villalba and Whitehead described their families and noted that donations would be used for funeral costs and to support surviving relatives.
Police said the shooting, which occurred on the festival’s final day near the Space Needle, left three dead and four injured. Authorities suspect Semo was involved in the confrontation. One suspect remains in custody, while a second suspect is still at large.
The annual free food festival, which attracts about 350,000 visitors, concluded with the tragedy, prompting calls for increased public safety measures.