15-year-old accused of firing into crowd during deadly Seattle mass shooting claims self-defense
A 15-year-old boy accused of opening fire during a deadly shootout at a crowded Seattle food festival claims he was shooting back in self-defense as authorities continue searching for other gunmen tied to the bloodshed.
The teen allegedly pulled a handgun from a pouch and fired after two unidentified suspects began shooting toward him and his friend at the Bite of Seattle on July 26, his attorney said in court documents obtained by KOMO News.
The gunfire sent festivalgoers scrambling outside the Seattle Center Armory near the Space Needle.
Three people were killed, and four others were wounded, including a 2-year-old boy, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Police have described the bloodshed as a gang-related shootout that left innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.
The dead included 19-year-old Niko-Semo, a 44-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman.
THIRD SUSPECT EMERGES IN DEADLY SEATTLE MASS SHOOTING, ONE ALLEGED GUNMAN FOUND DEAD More than a month later, the 15-year-old remains the only person charged in connection with the shooting.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office told Fox News Digital that police have not brought prosecutors any cases involving anyone else in the shooting.
" Seattle Police are handling the investigation," the office said.
"No other cases from the Bite of Seattle shooting other than the charged case involving the 15-year-old have been referred by police investigators to the KCPAO." Police have, however, identified two potential persons of interest after combing through roughly 450 hours of video, Interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles told FOX 13 Seattle.
Sayles cautioned that police have not determined whether the two people opened fire.
3 DEAD, INCLUDING SUSPECTED GUNMAN, AND 3 OFFICERS INJURED IN MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING "I can say that we are looking at two potential persons of interest in this incident, not saying that they are the shooters or anything of that nature, but people that we have identified that we need to have a conversation with," Sayles said.
No additional arrests have been announced.
Sayles said detectives are moving closer to interviews and could make arrests if the evidence supports them.
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