Image source, Mathieu Lewis-Rolland via Getty Images

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has offered his condolences to the families of the victims.

"My prayers are with the families of the victims, and the responders as they work to keep people safe," he said on social media.

He said he is receiving briefings on the ongoing police response and urged the public to avoid the Seattle Center and follow directions from law enforcement.

Two suspects have been taken into custody following the shooting at the Seattle Center, according to Seattle mayor Katie Wilson.

"I want to thank the Seattle police officers who responded to the scene and took two suspects into custody," she said in a statement. No further details were provided on the identities of the suspects.

Wilson also condemned the shooting as an "act of horrific violence".

"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."

"Tonight, our attention belongs to the people whose lives were taken, those fighting to recover, and the families beside them," she added.

"Seattle grieves with you, and we will stand with you in the difficult days ahead."

Image source, Bloomberg

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal who represents Seattle has condemned the "senseless violence" following the shooting at the Seattle Center.

"Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this senseless violence," she wrote on social media.

"We are in close touch with Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Governor Bob Ferguson, and co-ordinating across multiple levels of government to get updates on the situation."

Jayapal urged the public to continue to stay away from area as the active investigation continues.

The Seattle Fire Department has released more information on those injured after confirming two people were killed in the shooting.

Among those treated at the scene:

• A 56-year-old woman in a serious condition. Paramedics took her to hospital
• A 2-year-old boy in a stable condition. Paramedics took him to hospital
• A 40-year-old woman with minor injuries who declined transport to hospital
• A 39-year-old woman in a stable condition. Paramedics took her to hospital

• A 23-year-old man in a stable condition. Paramedics took him to hospital

Seattle Police Department is still investigating and has not released any information on possible suspects.

Two people have been killed and at least five others have been injured in the shooting at the Seattle Center, according to the Seattle Fire Department.

The two people were pronounced dead at the scene.

Among the injured is a two-year-old boy who was taken to hospital in a stable condition, and a 56-year-old woman in a serious condition.

Another victim had minor injuries and chose not to go to hospital. The fire department did not provide further details on the nature of the injuries.

The hospital treating some of the shooting victims, Harborview Medical Center, has held a news conference saying the hospital is in "partial lockdown".

A spokesperson for the hospital says the measure is based on communication with the Seattle Police Department and is for the protection of the families and victims.

There are currently four people being treated at the hospital, including a child who is in "satisfactory" condition.

The others injured include two women and one man, all in satisfactory condition, but one woman is in surgery.

The spokesperson says the hospital is not expecting further patients from the incident.

We are now getting some photos of police gathered at the Seattle Center.

They seem to be inspecting areas where food stalls are abandoned.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

We're getting more information from local media on the scene, with one Seattle Times reporter describing several loud pops and then what sounded like rapid gunfire.

A local vendor at the Bite of Seattle told the Seattle Times he heard multiple gunshots "all at once" and saw panicked parents grabbing their children and rushing towards the exit.

He added that children were crying and the scene was mayhem.

Images on social media show a huge police and emergency services presence at the scene, with multiple police vehicles and officers in tactical gear.

Videos also show crowds jumping over fences when the gunshots rang out and taking cover in the Space Needle's lobby.

Image source, Getty Images

Witnesses told an affiliate of the BBC's US partner CBS News that they heard multiple gunshots before fleeing the scene.

"At first, thought there were fireworks, and then everybody flooded and ran past us," Nick Bate told KIRO-TV.

Another witness says she ran through a garden and ducked to take cover.

"Everybody started running, and so we just ran too," says Leanne Coles. "We decided to keep running with the crowd... I looked up for the Space Needle to try to keep track of where we were. It was really scary."

The Seattle Center Monorail says it will be closed for the remainder of Sunday following the shooting and will reopen on Monday morning.

The venue is a popular gathering place for arts and cultural events located in the heart of the city.

The Seattle Center was hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival over the weekend, an annual event that attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees with food vendors and live music performances.

Witnesses said multiple gunshots could be heard around 18:00 local time, according to the Seattle Times, with one attendee describing the scene as "pure chaos".

It's still unclear how many people have been injured or whether a suspect has been arrested.

Police are responding to a shooting at the Seattle Center near the city's landmark Space Needle.

In a post on X, Seattle Police Department said: "Police are investigating a shooting. Multiple shooting victims. Shots fired at the Seattle Center. More information to come. Please avoid the area."

Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates.