Two men critically stabbed near Seattle World Cup venue as city welcomes international visitors

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The attack took place in the Chinatown-International District, a major transit hub and gateway for visitors traveling to and from downtown Seattle venues, including the stadium district. When officers arrived, they found an adult male suffering from multiple stab wounds. Police provided emergency aid until Seattle Fire Department medics arrived and transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.

As officers searched the area for a suspect, they discovered a second victim near 12th Avenue South and South Weller Street. The second adult male had also sustained multiple stab wounds. Officers rendered aid before medics transported him to Harborview in critical condition.

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The area has long been plagued by open-air drug use, crime, and public disorder. In 2024, King County Metro temporarily closed bus stops at 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street, citing safety concerns and noting that riders were often unable to board or exit comfortably due to conditions in the area.

Post Millennial staff in the neighborhood at the time of Sunday’s stabbing witnessed rampant drug use, suspected dealing, prostitution activity, and what appeared to be an attempted car theft while police searched for the suspect.

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The violence comes as Seattle officials attempt to market the city as a safe, world-class destination ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The city’s downtown core has continued to struggle with crime, shuttered businesses, and a weakened office market even as officials tout event-driven foot traffic as a sign of recovery. Now, many of the vagrants, addicts, dealers, prolific offenders, and homeless have been pushed out of the area in preparation for the matches.

A recent Downtown Seattle Association report found that while violent crime declined in the downtown core, it rose sharply in other areas, including Belltown, while the Chinatown-International District continued to see persistently high levels of crime. Belltown and the Chinatown-International District together accounted for more than a third of downtown’s violent crime.

Seattle police launched a large-scale search for the suspect, utilizing information from the department’s Real Time Crime Center. Officers from multiple precincts, SPD K9 units, and deputies from the King County Sheriff’s Office assisted in canvassing the area. Despite the extensive search effort, authorities were unable to locate the suspect.

Detectives with SPD’s Homicide and Assault Unit are leading the investigation and are working to determine what led to the violence. Police have not released a description of the suspect, and no arrests have been announced as of Monday.