Originally published May 24, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified May 25, 2008 at 1:28 AM
Two hit by gunfire at Seattle's Folklife Festival
An argument that became a physical fight left at least two people wounded by a single gunshot Saturday evening at the Northwest Folklife Festival, as thousands of people listened to music and danced at Seattle Center.
Seattle Times staff reporter
An argument that became a physical fight left at least two people wounded by a single gunshot Saturday evening at the Northwest Folklife Festival, as thousands of people listened to music and danced at Seattle Center.
Police quickly apprehended an adult male suspect, and they said it appeared he and the victims may have known one another. However, said Greg Schmidt, Seattle Police director of communications, it is not known whether the shooting was deliberate.
Schmidt said one round was fired from a Glock semiautomatic. The round passed through a woman's leg and a man's arm before possibly striking another man.
The woman and the man with the arm injury were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Schmidt said. Police were interviewing the other man who may have been shot; he left the Center grounds but later returned, Schmidt said. The names of the victims were not released.
The incident occurred in a grassy area north of the International Fountain, near the Mercer Street entrance to the Center.
Although people nearby scattered and ran when the shooting occurred about 6:30 p.m., police said, many at the festival were unaware of what had happened.
Schmidt said three police officers were nearby and immediately "jumped in and secured the firearm."
Schmid said the man they arrested had a license for the weapon, which he was carrying in an ankle holster.
By 7:30, except for a police tape barrier around the scene of the gunfire and a lot of "guys in blue" around, as one onlooker noted, the festival appeared to be back to normal. Parents toted children and plates of food, teens in shorts giggled with their friends, and women wearing long, colorful skirts floated by, swaying to the insistent rhythms of Folklife.
"The festival, as you can see and hear, is going on," Schmidt said. "It's a beautiful day."
Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 or costrom@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Lake Union fireworks fun based on a blast from the past
Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
Walk the deck of a restored schooner
Lake Washington's sockeye run may hit a record low
Oxygen loss tied to sky divers' crash

Tribal Fireworks Rivalry
The Fourth of July marks a long-standing fireworks rivalry between two clans of a Native-American family in Suquamish.
Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
- Palin keeps low-profile after plan to resign
- Yakima teacher reprimanded for sending 5-year-old student home with bag of feces in backpack
- 6 jurors swear a cop's wife swayed panel in Kent civil rights case
- Fire sends service providers scrambling
- Going to Gas Works Park? Good luck
- Plasma and LED beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Woman accuses Sounders FC player Nate Jaqua of sexual assault, seeks more than $10 million
- More than 1 million seek tix for Jackson memorial
- Rob Johnson's double in 11th powers Mariners past Red Sox, 7-6
- Bicyclist killed Wednesday night is identified
- Palin resigning as Alaska governor
703 - Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox: 07/04 game thread
344 - Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox: 07/04 game thread
244 - Woman accuses Sounders FC player Nate Jaqua of sexual assault, seeks more than $10 million
84 - Global warming may impede eelgrass growth
68 - Palin's Declaration of Independence
62 - Anti-illegal immigration initiative falls short
57 - Mariners score unlikely win over Red Sox in battle of bullpens
56 - Rob Johnson ties a club record as Mariners win 7-6 in 11 innings
54 - Man pistol-whipped after argument at nightclub
35
- Going to Gas Works Park? Good luck
- Liven up Fremont's attempt to break a world record for a 'zombie walk'
- Plasma and LED beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Lynnwood's City Bank gets tighter scrutiny
- Yakima teacher reprimanded for sending 5-year-old student home with bag of feces in backpack
- Retail Report | Pet-supply shops grow while other retailers fade
- Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
- Palin keeps low-profile after plan to resign
- Fire sends service providers scrambling
- Oregon woman obsessed with rabbits back in jail




