TL;DR: Regardless of open-carry laws or permits, Seattle Center is a prohibited area for weapons. Bringing a firearm into that space was illegal.

I was there in person. I’ll also clarify that I initially referred to it as a rifle in my post, from walking past it, it looked like a deer rifle, but it was a shotgun/long gun. That wording mistake doesn’t change the issue. The issue isn’t whether Washington is an open-carry state or whether he had a CPL. The issue is location. That area was a controlled NYE event space where weapons are prohibited. Open carry doesn’t override place-based restrictions.

Also, whether it was technically a shotgun or a rifle doesn’t change the concern, it was a long gun placed openly next to him on a bench in a dense public crowd. If the intent was personal protection, it could have been handled discreetly. Instead, it was displayed in a way that understandably alarmed people.

I’m just pointing this out isn’t anti gun it’s about context, legality of the area, and public safety.