Bullets That Killed Two at Seattle Food Festival Don't Match Teen's Gun, Police Say
Ballistic tests indicate the bullets that killed two bystanders at a Seattle food festival did not come from the gun fired by the arrested 15-year-old. The shooting is linked to gang violence, and police are searching for at least one more suspect.
Police said in court documents filed Wednesday that bullets that fatally struck two bystanders during a shootout at a Seattle food festival last weekend do not appear to have come from the gun a 15-year-old arrested at the scene was firing. Authorities say the teen sprayed an untraceable "ghost gun" into a crowd. Preliminary ballistics testing did not match the recovered bullets to that weapon.
Police have linked the shooting to gang violence. Shell casings found at the scene indicate four weapons were fired. "We have small groups that appear to be at odds with each other, and in our city 0.01% of the population is connected to 52% of our shootings," Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a Monday news conference.
A 19-year-old suspect was shot and killed at the scene. Police are trying to identify at least one other person involved but have not indicated who might have fired the bullets that killed the bystanders. At least four other bystanders were wounded, including a two-year-old boy. Videos posted to social media show a chaotic scene as people flee.
The King County prosecutor's office charged the 15-year-old with first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement and unlawful possession of a handgun by a minor. Prosecutors are seeking to move the case to adult court. If convicted in juvenile court, he could face up to 2.5 years in juvenile detention. In adult court, a conviction would carry a sentence of about eight to ten years in prison, plus a possible five years for the firearm enhancement.
