Victims of Seattle Shooting Identified; One is a Mexican Immigrant
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
A 15-year-old boy arrested after a shooting at a food festival near Seattle's Space Needle over the weekend was carrying a ghost gun with an extended magazine, police reported on Tuesday. Police Chief Shon Barnes stated at a press conference that the weapon was a 9 mm Polymer80 pistol, a now-defunct company that was once a leading manufacturer of ghost gun parts. Investigators also recovered two other firearms and 14 shell casings fired from two different calibers. The shooting, which occurred in the final hours of the Bite of Seattle festival, left three people dead, including a 19-year-old gunman, and at least four others injured, including a small child. Authorities believe the violence was gang-related and are reviewing available surveillance footage while interviewing victims and witnesses to identify other possible participants. A potential eighth person who may have been shot registered at a hospital after the incident but left before investigators could interview them, Barnes added. Various legal hurdles have prevented them from obtaining the patient's identity. Ghost guns are privately made firearms that lack serial numbers used for tracing and are often purchased without background checks. Law enforcement officials say ghost guns, including those made with 3D printers, have increasingly been used in violent crimes across the United States. The weapon the 15-year-old fired when he surrendered to police was equipped with a 33-round extended magazine, which still contained 19 rounds. On Sunday night, police also recovered a 9 mm pistol at the scene that they do not believe was used in the shooting. On Monday, when food vendors were allowed back to the area to clean up and collect their equipment, a third weapon was discovered: a Glock 45 model 9 mm with a switch that allowed it to fire fully automatically, according to Barnes. Police believe this weapon was fired during the shooting and had a 40-round extended magazine with 21 rounds remaining. In a document filed Monday in Seattle juvenile court, police stated that 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 indicated they believed there were two. Among the victims is a Mexican immigrant. The King County Medical Examiner's Office identified the deceased on Monday as Carlos Israel Sánchez Villalba, 44, Ashley Whitehead, 56, and Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19. Villalba was a husband and father of three known for his kindness and willingness to help others, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched Monday to assist his family with funeral expenses. He died from a gunshot wound to the torso, while Whitehead died from a gunshot to the pelvis and Semo died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner's office. Whitehead had moved to Washington from Alabama a year ago and was enjoying 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. Ashley Whitehead adored her two adult daughters and also loved nature and arts and crafts, her cousin said. 'I would consider her just a free spirit. She had the best sense of humor, the most beautiful smile,' she expressed. On Monday night downtown, during a vigil, Michelle Whitehead was among dozens holding a sign that read 'Whitehead Strong' as the group observed a moment of silence and raised their phone flashlights to honor those who had been killed. There were candles and flowers around them. The four injured include a two-year-old boy, two men aged 23 and 27, and a 39-year-old woman, all of whom have been released from the hospital, a hospital spokesperson said. One of the injured was riding a bicycle when he was struck, according to the court document. The small child was with his mother. This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool. A Telemundo Digital editor reviewed the translation.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
