Three people were killed when gunfire broke out near the Seattle Space Needle on Sunday night.

Shots were heard at around 6pm at Seattle Center, where thousands of families were enjoying a food festival over the weekend.

Four people – a two-year-old boy, a 23-year-old man and two adult women – are in hospital in a stable condition.

A suspect has been detained in connection with the incident, police said, only describing them as a ‘young person.’

Another person was believed to have fled the scene, officials said, and there was said to be no ongoing threat to the public.

Two weapons were also recovered from the scene, leading authorities to believe the two suspects were shooting at each other. 

A livestreamed video from the scene showed how the Bite of Seattle festival descended into chaos.

It started with a man from Hawaiian Honey Cones showing off his product at the food festival and asking more people to subscribe to his channel when one of his employees tells him, ‘Shooting,’ and ducks behind the counter.

‘Shooting, oh s***,’ the man taking the livestream video replied, as people, including families with young children, started running. 

What appears to be five gunshots could then be heard in the background as the live streamer encouraged others to take cover. 

Meanwhile, people could be seen breaking through a barrier, trying to run away.

The video then ends with the live streamer telling his employee to grab the money and get down. 

Two people were killed at the scene, with another succumbing to their injuries in hospital. 

Paul Skinner, 47, also told the Seattle Times how he had just returned from grabbing drinks for his staff at his Filipino food booth when he heard a series of loud pops.

‘I just heard what sounded like what were some pretty loud fireworks at first,’ he recounted. 

‘Then the energy changed. Mobs of people started flooding back down. I just told our staff to get down.’ 

Kayla Carris, 22, said she was sitting outside the Armory when the shooting occurred, and people started rushing to get inside.

‘Everyone was just throwing stuff and running,’ she told the Seattle Times. ‘Like everyone.’ 

Adya Sengupta was one of those who took shelter inside the Seattle Armory.

She told KING 5 News how Seattle Fudge brought dozens of people into the storefront to shelter inside the event center.

‘Inside the Seattle Armory was crazy within seconds, maybe 60-plus people had flooded the doors inside, all running towards that back corner with Seattle Fudge,’ she said. 

Estan Wakonabo said he and his girlfriend were at the festival waiting in line for a photo booth when he was shoved from behind and he turned to see people fleeing. 

‘People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,’ Wakonabo said, adding that was when he heard gunshots.

‘Once I heard a “pop, pop, pop,” that´s when I knew it was a shooter,’ he said.

After he escorted his girlfriend to safety, he returned to the scene to take photos and saw multiple victims on the ground, Wakonabo said.

Todd Behrends, 59, also said that he saw people jumping and running over others to get away.

One woman fell in the chaos, he said, and someone stepped on her leg.

When Behrends then ran out the exit, he said he saw a woman on the ground and a man on a stretcher. 

Police locked down the area and the FBI was at the scene.

The Monorail was shut down for the rest of the night.

The annual festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees over ‘three days of food, drink, and community celebration,’ according to its website. 

‘Impacted families are living through the worst moment of their lives and an entire community is trying to understand how a gathering built around culture, connection and joy ended in gunfire,’ Mayor Kate Wilson said in a statement, calling the shooting ‘an act of horrific violence.’

‘No one should have to weigh the risk of being shot before attending an event, gathering with friends or experiencing their city,’ she continued, before thanking police officers, firefighters and others who provided aid or helped people evacuate safely.

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay also said he was ‘horrified’ by the shooting.

‘As someone who grew up in this community, I know what this event means to so many families, young people and neighbors across our region,’ he said. ‘For years, the Bite has been one of Seattle’s signature summer traditions. To see violence at a place that brings so many people together is heartbreaking and unacceptable.

‘My heart is with the victims and their loved ones, those who were senselessly injured, Seattle Center employees and vendors and everyone who has been traumatized by the experience,’ Zahilay said, adding that he is ‘also grateful for the first responders who rushed in to protect others and care for the injured.’

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson further said his ‘prayers are with the families of the victims and the responders as they work to keep people safe.’