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

Published Jul 29, 2026 8:19 am KST

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, in Seattle. AP-Yonhap

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 fitted with an extended magazine, police said Tuesday.

Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a news conference that the weapon was a 9 mm gun made by Polymer80, a now-defunct company that was once a leading maker of ghost gun parts.

Investigators also recovered two other weapons and 14 shell casings fired from weapons of two different calibers, he said.

Festival shooting killed 3 people and injured 4, including a toddler

The shooting in the final 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 said they believe the violence was gang-related, and they are reviewing available surveillance video and interviewing victims and witnesses to identify others who may have been involved.

Barnes said an eighth person with a possible gunshot wound checked into a Seattle hospital after the shooting, but left before investigators could interview them. He added that legal obstacles have prevented detectives from obtaining the patient’s identity. It is unclear whether the injury was connected to the festival shooting or whether the person was involved, but Barnes urged the person to come forward and speak with investigators.

The attack unfolded at a crowded public event, adding urgency to the investigation as police try to determine how many people were involved and which weapons were used. That has made the recovery of multiple firearms and shell casings especially important for reconstructing the sequence of shots in a busy festival setting.

Candles are seen lighted with flowers during the vigil for victims the day after a shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Monday, July 27, in Seattle. AP-Yonhap

Ghost guns lack serial numbers law enforcement can use to trace them

Ghost guns are privately made — often homemade — firearms that do not have serial numbers that law enforcement can use to trace them. They are often 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 forced 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.

Barnes said the weapon the 15-year-old was firing when he surrendered to police had an extended 33-round magazine, with 19 rounds still inside.

Police also recovered a 9 mm handgun at the scene on Sunday night that they do not believe was used in the shooting.

On Monday, after food vendors were allowed back into the area to clean up and collect their equipment, officers found a third weapon: a Glock 45 model 9 mm fitted with a switch that allowed 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.

Police believe there were at least 3 shooters

In a document filed in Seattle juvenile court on Monday, police said they believe 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 previously said they believed there were two.

A judge on Monday ordered the 15-year-old to remain 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’

According to a GoFundMe campaign launched Monday to help with funeral expenses, Villalba was a husband and father of three who was known for his kindness and willingness to help others. The medical examiner’s office said he died from a gunshot wound to the torso, while Whitehead died from a gunshot wound to the pelvis and Semo died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Whitehead had moved to Washington from Alabama a year ago and was attending 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, her cousin said.

A photo of Ashley Whitehead, one of the victims, is seen on a bed of flowers at a growing memorial following a July 26 shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Tuesday, July 28, in Seattle. AP-Yonhap

Ashley Whitehead loved her two adult daughters and also enjoyed 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.

At a vigil Monday night at the center, Michelle Whitehead stood among dozens of others holding a sign that said “Whitehead Strong” as the group observed a moment of silence and raised flashlights from their phones to honor those who had been killed. Candles and flowers were arranged around them.

With the Space Needle in the background, candles are seen lighted during the vigil for victims the day after a shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Monday, July 27, in Seattle. AP-Yonhap

The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, two men ages 23 and 27, and a 39-year-old woman, all of whom were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said. The court document said one of the victims was walking a bicycle when struck. The toddler was with his mother.