Seattle Police Chief Out As City Officials Face Backlash Over Mass Shooting Response

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes was relieved of his duties by Mayor Katie Wilson on Wednesday night following the mass shooting that took place at the Bite of Seattle food festival Sunday night.

FOX 13 Seattle first reported the news after tips from several sources. Scrutiny of the police department intensified after Barnes skipped a briefing held several hours after the shooting.

During a second press conference Monday morning, Barnes informed reporters that he’d been out of town Sunday to attend the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Conference in Dallas. On Wednesday, Barnes abruptly canceled a media session after a silent vigil for victims, reportedly meeting with the mayor instead. Wilson asked for his resignation.

The mayor’s office has not responded to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.

Although the hourslong delay in the press briefing sparked backlash against Barnes and the department, others have raised concerns about how little time Barnes has spent in the city he is supposed to be serving.

During Monday’s conference, one reporter asked Barnes why he was not in the city during the time of the shooting, citing a report from PubliCola that Barnes spends most of his weekends out of town. In the report, Barnes’ schedule shows almost every Friday afternoon blocked off — either completely blank or titled “admin block” or “travel.” Barnes was out of town 13 of 18 weekends between February and May, according to the report.

Barnes responded to the reporter, acknowledging he was “not in town” the day before the shooting. After the media session, Barnes approached the reporter to confront him.

Some in the community attempted to mobilize against Chief Barnes’ removal before Wilson acted. On Wednesday, The Seattle Medium published “An Open Letter To Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson From the Black Community,” a request to Mayor Wilson not to fire Barnes. In the piece, Barnes’ termination is deemed the “wrong decision,” and the authors claim it would “disrupt Seattle’s progress in public safety.”

Barnes was appointed chief of police in 2024.

During the investigation into the shooting, police identified 15- and 19-year-old suspects, with authorities on the lookout for a potential third suspect in what police have called “targeted, gang-related” violence. The 19-year-old suspect is among the three dead. Authorities are still investigating the shooting.

The Bite of Seattle event typically attracts around 350,000 people.