15-year-old arrested at Seattle food festival shooting was armed with a
ghost gun, police say
[July 29, 2026]
By GENE JOHNSON and CLAIRE RUSH
SEATTLE (AP) — 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.
The festival shooting killed 3 people and injured 4, including a
toddler
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. Authorities say they
believe the violence was gang-related, and they are reviewing any
available surveillance video and interviewing victims and witnesses in
an effort to identify others who may have been involved.
An eighth person with a possible gunshot wound checked themself into a
Seattle hospital after the shooting, but checked out before
investigators could conduct an interview, Barnes said. Legal obstacles
have prevented detectives from obtaining the patient’s identity, he
added. It's unclear if the injury was related to the festival shooting
or whether the person might have been involved in it, but Barnes asked
for the person to come forward and speak with investigators.
Ghost guns lack serial numbers law enforcement can use to trace them
Ghost guns are privately made — often homemade — firearms that lack
serial numbers used to trace them. They have often been purchased
without a background check. Law enforcement officials say ghost guns,
including those made with 3D printers, have been used in violent crimes
across the U.S.
Lawsuits and state-level bans eventually pushed Polymer80 out of
business in 2024, and last year, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a rule
adopted under former President Joe Biden requiring companies to treat
gun kits like other firearms by adding serial numbers, running
background checks, and verifying that buyers are 21 or older.
The weapon the 15-year-old had been shooting when he surrendered to
police was equipped with an extended 33-round magazine, Barnes said. The
magazine still had 19 rounds in it.
At the scene Sunday night, police also recovered a 9 mm handgun that
they do not believe was used in the shooting.
And on Monday, as food vendors were allowed to return to the area to
clean up and collect their equipment, a third weapon was discovered: a
Glock 45 model 9 mm with a switch allowing it to fire fully
automatically, Barnes said. Police believe that gun was fired during the
shooting. It had an extended 40-round magazine, with 21 rounds remaining
in it.
Police believe there were at least 3 shooters
In a document filed in juvenile court in Seattle on Monday, police said
they believed there were at least three shooters: the 15-year-old, an
acquaintance who died at the scene and “at least one other unknown
suspect.” Authorities had earlier said they believed there were two.
[to top of second column]
|
People hold smartphone with flash light 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. (AP
Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
A judge on Monday ordered the 15-year-old to be held in juvenile
detention for investigation of assault and firearms charges pending
further hearings. The King County prosecutor's office said it expected
to receive the case from police on Wednesday for a charging decision.
Hong Tran, a public defender assigned to the teen's case, declined to
comment in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday identified the dead
as Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44; Ashley Whitehead, 56; and Junior
Cee Niko Semo, 19.
Victims remembered as kind, willing to help others and a ‘free
spirit’
Villalba was a husband and father of three known for his kindness and
willingness to help others, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched
Monday to help his family with funeral expenses. He died from a gunshot
wound to his torso, while Whitehead died from a gunshot to her pelvis
and Semo died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical
examiner’s office.
Whitehead had just moved to Washington from Alabama a year ago and was
enjoying the festival with one of her adult daughters when she was shot,
her cousin Michelle Whitehead told The Associated Press. She was taken
to the hospital and died in surgery, she said.
Ashley Whitehead adored her two adult daughters, and also loved nature
and arts and crafts, her cousin said.
“I would consider her just a free spirit. She had the best sense of
humor, the best gorgeous smile,” she said.
During a vigil Monday night at the center, Michelle Whitehead stood
among dozens of others with a sign that said “Whitehead Strong” as the
group held a moment of silence and raised up flashlights on their phones
to honor those that had been killed. Candles and flowers were arranged
around them.
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.
One of the victims was walking a bicycle when struck, the court document
said. The toddler was with his mother.
___
Rush reported from Portland, Oregon. Associated Press writer Hallie
Golden in Seattle contributed.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
