A tragic shooting incident at the annual Bite of Seattle Festival has left two dead and multiple injured, including a young child, highlighting the ongoing issue of gun violence in the US.
Two people were killed and several others were injured -- including a child -- in a shooting incident reported at the Seattle food festival on July 26, Sunday evening in the USA, CNN reported, citing fire department officials.
CNN reported that the shooting took place just a block from the city's iconic Space Needle.
The Seattle Fire Department said that it responded to reports of a shooting at the Seattle Center just after 6 pm (local time).
As per a report by AP, as many as five patients were admitted to the Harborview Medical Centre. A 56-year-old woman was in serious condition while being transported to the hospital.
A two year old toddler, a 23-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman were also brought to the hosiptal, later declared to be in stable condition. Another 40-year-old woman sustained minor injuries.
A large number of police and emergency crews responded and began evacuating the area around the sprawling Seattle Centre events campus. Authorities have not said where exactly the shooting occurred at the event, which had outdoor and indoor areas.
The fire department, in a statement, said that two people were declared dead at the scene and four others, the youngest of which was 2-years-old, were transported to a hospital.
Harborview Medical Centre said all patients suffered gunshot wounds and one woman is in a critical condition.
The hospital added that the range of injuries for the four patients involved the arm, leg, abdomen and lower leg. Fire officials also noted that one woman declined to go to the hospital.
As per the American broadcaster, authorities have not announced details on a suspect or whether anyone has been taken into custody.
The cause of the shooting is not known. The shooting incident took place as the area was hosting its annual Bite of Seattle Festival, featuring hundreds of local vendors and live music performances.
CNN reported, citing the Gun Violence Archive, that the shooting is one of at least 271 mass shootings in the US this year.
The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more victims are shot.
Shortly after the incident was reported, the Seattle Center Monorail announced it would be closed for the remainder of the day and would resume operations Monday morning. This is a developing story.