Police took nearly five hours to provide detailed public information
Mayor Katie Wilson announced Thursday that Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes has resigned, days after a shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival left three people dead and four wounded, including a two-year-old boy. Wilson named Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a law enforcement veteran with more than two decades of experience, as interim chief.
The resignation came after city officials faced criticism over slow and confusing public communication following Sunday’s shooting. After an initial social media post about the incident, police took nearly five hours before providing any additional information to the public, including whether there was an active threat.
The gunfire erupted at the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers. Three people — including one suspect — were killed, and four people were wounded. One of the wounded was a two-year-old boy.
Dozens of officers were at the event. At least one officer saw a 15-year-old suspect firing into a crowd and quickly persuaded him to surrender, according to court documents. Police are still searching for at least one other person.
During the hours after the shooting, Wilson announced that two people had been taken into custody — a statement she later retracted. Tyrone Davis, the assistant Seattle police chief, finally provided an update at about 11 p.m. Sunday during a news conference attended by the mayor, Governor Bob Ferguson and U.S. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.
The announcement of the resignation followed hours of speculation about whether Barnes would step down. Some of his supporters said he had rebuffed Wilson’s request that he resign. Barnes told the Seattle Times on Thursday that whether he remained in the position was “up to the mayor.” He said he was off for the day and spending time with family. A police department spokesperson told the Associated Press he did not have any information to share about the situation.
Barnes was the second Black police chief in Seattle. Several Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, rallied to try to save his job Thursday. In an open letter to the mayor’s office, they credited him with improving relations between the department and the community, helping reduce gun violence and strengthening the department’s operations.
Barnes was appointed by Seattle’s previous mayor, Bruce Harrell, in December 2024 after serving as chief of the Madison, Wisconsin, police department. The Guardian characterized Wilson as a democratic socialist who had previously supported defunding police. According to the newspaper, keeping Barnes as chief when she took office was seen by the city’s business establishment and community groups as a signal that she did not intend to take a radically different approach to public safety.
Barnes had faced some criticism for spending time in Chicago, where his family lives. Sgt. Patrick Michaud, a department spokesperson, said Barnes made four trips to Chicago this year and spent about 18 days traveling there. Barnes also traveled to several police executive and recruitment conferences, Michaud said.