TikTokker voiced concerns about Seattle Center food festival security day before mass shooting that left 3 dead
New York Post · RC · trust 65/100
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Add The New York Post on Google A Washington-based content creator appeared to be surprised by the apparent lack of security at the “Bite of Seattle” food festival – just one day before at least three people died in a mass shooting at the event.
The TikTokker, known only as Leebo, claimed in a video that there was “no pat down” or bag checks before walking into the festival grounds Saturday.
“There’s not any security walking around,” the influencer said as he made his way over to the food stalls.
“You should not be able to just walk up into this festival – with all these people, with all these vendors with no security.”
After news of Sunday’s shooting emerged, the TikTokker said in another video there were “no metal detectors” or security officers walking with dogs as he blasted festival organizers.
The Post has approached Bite of Seattle for comment.
Around 350,000 people attend the three-day festival, which has taken place in the Washington city since 1982.
It has been hosted at the Seattle Center since 1986 and has twice been voted the best food festival in the US.
Shots rang out at around 6 p.m. Sunday – hours before the festival wrapped up.
Three people are confirmed to have died, while four were injured.
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, while another died after being rushed to a local hospital.
A two-year-old boy was among those who were injured, officials revealed.
A man, 23, and two adult women were also hospitalized. One of the victims has since died.
Gunshot injuries included the arm, abdomen, and leg.
“I heard boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,” one witness working at the festival told KOMO.
The witness said he helped lift children over a fence to safety.
“I heard a couple pops, but I didn’t think it was anything big until I saw families, kids, everyone just running out of the fair,” another said.
“Someone said ‘active shooter,’ and I ran. I jumped the fence.”
Video shared on X shows scores of people sheltering inside the Space Needle’s gift shop.
Estan Wakonabo, 25 told the Seattle Times that crowds of people began trampling over each other while fleeing the gunfire.
“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” he told the Associated Press.
Roberto Ramirez, a vendor at the event, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers before people began yelling “shooter” and frantically running.
“Suddenly everything was empty,” he said. “People were freaked out.”
A live YouTube video filmed by a food vendor at the event, Hawaiian Honey Cones, captured the moment loud pops of bullets rang out.
“Shooting, shooting!” someone yelled as one blast sounded off, causing vendor Christopher Monterroso to hurriedly turn his head toward the feeling crowd while still holding a honey cone.
Maybe it’s just me but this seems a little weird.. #seattle #biteofseattle #security #food #event
“Shooting, oh sh-t. Oh sh-t right here,” Monterroso said as he screamed at staff to get down.
One person has since been taken into custody – and another remains at large.
Tyrone Davis, the Seattle police assistant chief, said the suspect at large is a “young person” but wouldn’t say if they were a child or adult.
He has put out an urgent appeal for witnesses, telling reporters, “They’re not coming forward.”
The US has seen 271 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It defines a mass shooting as an incident where a minimum of four victims have been shot — either injured or killed, excluding the shooter.
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