At least two people were killed and five others wounded on Sunday in a shooting at a food festival in Seattle, the authorities said.

The Seattle Police Department said shots were fired at Seattle Center, which was hosting the Bite of Seattle food festival and is also home to the Space Needle. Thousands of people were attending the festival, the local news media reported.

The wounded included a boy who was approximately two years old, the Seattle Fire Department said.

The authorities said to avoid the area. Information about a suspect or a potential motive was not immediately available.

Fire crews responded to reports of a shooting at the center just after 6 p.m., the fire department said in a statement. They attempted lifesaving efforts on two patients but both were declared dead at the scene, it said. They also treated five other patients whose injuries ranged from minor to serious.

Four of the victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center, the statement said. The two-year-old was in stable condition, and the other patients were approximately 23 to 56 years old, it added.

A spokeswoman for Harborview Medical Center said that all four patients had suffered gunshot wounds. One adult female patient was in surgery and in critical condition, while the three other patients were in satisfactory condition, she said.

Justice Beitzel, 52, said she was at the Bite of Seattle festival with friends when she heard gunshots. She said the music suddenly stopped and people ran toward her, ducking and hiding behind trees. She grabbed her friend and hid behind a picket fence until the incident was over, she said in a phone interview.

“We helped console those who were still shaking,” Ms. Beitzel said.

This is a developing story.