Seattle City Mourns Victims of Food Festival Shooting

On Saturday, the annual Bite of Seattle food festival turned into a tragedy when a gunfight erupted near the space needle. Three people — Junior Cee Niko Semo (19), Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba (44) and Ashley Whitehead (56) — were killed and four others were injured.

Mayor Katie Wilson and the police chief led a candlelight vigil at a local fountain on Monday. Hundreds gathered, laying flowers and lighting candles in silence, as the city paid tribute to the victims.

In the wake of the shooting, GoFundMe pages for Villalba and Whitehead raised substantial donations. Villalba’s page called him a “devoted husband, loving father of three, and a loyal friend.” Whitehead’s campaign described her as a “lover of life, art and family” who was “standing in line for cotton‑candy when the shooting started.” Funds are earmarked for funeral costs and to support their families.

Police suspect that Junior Cee Niko Semo may have been involved in the gunfight, and a second suspect is in custody. A third suspect remains at large. The incident left the community shocked, with Governor Bob Ferguson commenting that the “iconic community celebration… ended in gunfire.”

The Bite of Seattle is a three‑day free festival that attracts roughly 350,000 visitors each year. What began as a family‑friendly gathering ended in mourning, reflecting broader concerns about gun violence in the region.