Seattle police are still on the hunt for a second suspect in Sunday's shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival, which left three dead and several injured - though they admit the guy might already be among the deceased, which would certainly save on paperwork.

The shooting erupted around 18:00 local time near the Space Needle, because nothing says 'family-friendly food festival' like a gunfight between a 15-year-old and his unidentified accomplice. The teen is in custody; the other suspect remains at large, though police chief Shon Barnes allowed that one of the victims might actually be the second shooter. Awkward.

The deceased include a 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man, and a 56-year-old woman. A two-year-old boy was among the injured - because apparently no American mass shooting is complete without a toddler caught in the crossfire. Four other injured were hospitalized in stable condition; a fifth decided to skip the hospital, which is one way to handle trauma.

The festival, which draws some 350,000 people annually, was on its final day when the shots rang out. Witnesses described chaos: people diving behind pillars, hiding in the Seattle Children's Museum, and generally treating the Space Needle like a war zone. 'At first, thought there were fireworks,' said witness Nick Bate, capturing the universal American confusion between celebration and gunfire.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson initially said two suspects were in custody, then corrected herself - because who hasn't accidentally declared a manhunt over? She thanked police for their response and called the shooting 'an act of horrific violence.' Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal also weighed in with the usual condemnations and prayers.

The investigation continues, with police urging the public to avoid the area - which, given the number of guns recovered and the ongoing search, seems like solid advice.