Manhunt Underway After Two Men BASE Jump Off Iconic Space Needle In Seattle

Two men climbed over glass barriers and jumped from the Space Needle on Friday evening in an incident captured in numerous videos shared on social media.

The BASE jump was reported to Seattle police (SPD) at around 9:21 p.m. Officers arrived and contacted two Space Needle security guards.

The guards explained that at about 8:50 p.m. the two suspects entered the Space Needle with purchased tickets that were scanned at the front entrance. Later, both suspects were seen on camera at the top level for viewing, standing around possibly scouting, Seattle police said.

The suspects entered the restroom and came out with their helmets on, according to SPD.

Jacob Jarreau was with a friend waiting in line for the bathroom when the two men came out.

“These two guys burst out of the bathroom, scared the h– out of everybody,” Jarreau said. “For the first two seconds, we didn’t really know what the heck was going on, so everybody was scared.”

“I was like, what the heck is going on, why are you pushing past me and my kid?” Bri Ramos, who also witnessed the stunt, said. “They were running towards the glass, and they jumped up; that’s when Jacob was like, ‘They’re climbing up, they’re climbing up.’”

Both suspects then approached the glass window facing northbound, with Lake Union in the background; the two men then ran and jumped over to the opposite side of the glass.

Both did a backflip off the platform before successfully deploying their parachutes. Space Needle security officers were uncertain of the location where they landed.

“The first two seconds I was scared, I thought they were doing something bad, so I got a really big surge of adrenaline, and then as soon as I saw the parachute, two seconds I was like, oh my god they’re going to jump off,” Jarreau said. “It was illegal, that’s for sure. It was a pretty brazen act.”

The two suspects were not found by officers, according to SPD.

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The Seattle Fire Department says two people are dead and five others are hurt, including a child, after a shooting at the Seattle Center near the Space Needle.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson says that police have arrested at least one person. She released the following statement:

“What happened at the Seattle Center today was 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.

No one should have to weigh the risk of being shot before attending an event, gathering with friends, or experiencing their city.

Our first responsibilities are supporting grieving families, caring for the injured, and providing clear and accurate information for the public.

I want to thank the Seattle police officers who responded to the scene and took a suspect into custody. I also want to recognize Seattle firefighters and medical personnel at Harborview who are treating the injured, as well as Seattle Center and event staff and bystanders who helped people reach safety and provided aid in terrifying circumstances.

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