Three people have been killed and four are injured in hospital following a shooting at the Seattle Center, according to Seattle Police.
Those injured include a two-year-old boy, who is in a stable condition, fire department officials say.
One suspect has been taken into custody, according to Seattle mayor Katie Wilson.
A major food festival was being held at the scene, near the city's famed Space Needle, when gunshots were heard around 18:00 local time.
Thousands of visitors were enjoying the last day of Bite of Seattle food festival at the Seattle Centre at the time of the shooting.
Videos show crowds jumping over fences when the gunshots rang out and taking cover in the Space Needle's lobby.
The Pacific Science Center, which is at the south end of the Seattle Centre, will be closed on Monday.
In a post on Instagram, it said all shows and general admissions for the day will be cancelled, with guests automatically refunded.
The hospital treating some of the shooting victims is in "partial lockdown", a hospital spokesperson says.
Witnesses report hearing multiple gunshots and one attendee tells local media that the scene was "pure chaos".
Washington's governor offers his condolences to the families of the victims, while a Seattle congresswoman condemns the "senseless violence".
Here are the key developments:
- A shooting at Seattle's annual food festival Bite of Seattle occurred around 18:00 local time, with police reporting "multiple shooting victims"
- Witnesses said they heard loud pops of rapid gunfire before fleeing and taking cover, some describing the scene as "pure chaos" and "mayhem"
- Seattle's Fire Department confirmed two people died at the scene and five others were injured, with four transported to hospital including a two-year-old boy
- Mayor Katie Wilson said one suspect is in custody in connection with the shooting, after initially saying two people were taken into custody, but did not provide further details
- A police investigation is ongoing and the public has been urged to avoid the area near the Seattle Center
- Representatives for Seattle and Washington state have condemned the shooting as an act of "senseless violence"
