A mass shooting near the Space Needle landmark in Seattle killed three people on Sunday and wounded at least four others, including a child, according to US media and a local hospital.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said one suspect was taken into custody following the incident in a popular tourist district in the northwestern US city.

Investigators believe the two were shooting at each other and there is no ongoing threat to the public, according to Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis, who said police don't have a description of the outstanding suspect.

“We’re still trying to figure this out,” Davis said.

Two people died at the scene and a third died at a hospital.

Four others were wounded and are hospitalised in stable condition, Davis said.

The gunfire erupted around 6pm in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle, an annual festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers.

A two-year-old boy was among the wounded and the rest were adults, said Grace Nuñez, spokesperson for the Seattle Fire Department.

Hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg said the victims suffered injuries to the arm, abdomen or legs.

A large number of police and emergency crews responded and began evacuating the area around the sprawling Seattle Center events campus.

Authorities have not said where exactly the shooting occurred at the event, which had outdoor and indoor areas.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said he was receiving briefings and State Patrol SWAT officers were deployed to assist local police.

Meanwhile, Wilson said in a statement that she wanted to "thank the Seattle police officers who responded to the scene and took a suspect into custody."

The annual "Bite" festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees over “three days of food, drink, and community celebration,” according to its website. (Agencies)




Edited by Tony Sabine