Seattle police chief resigns after shooting response criticism, mayor says

The Seattle police chief who oversaw the widely criticized emergency response to a shooting earlier this week has tendered his resignation, Mayor Katie Wilson announced on Thursday.Shon Barnes departed from his leadership position at the Seattle Police Department, four days after a shooting at the three-day Bite of Seattle food festival near the city’s Space Needle left three people, including one suspected shooter, dead and four victims wounded. The police force was publicly panned for failing to deliver quick and clear information on the shooting.There was a five-hour communication gap between the initial social media post and the first press conference about the incident. At the time, people were unsure whether there was any ongoing threat to the public. Despite the criticism, Barnes credited the city’s police officers for their actions following the shooting.“The men and women of this department show up every single day with professionalism and dedication, and what they did in the aftermath of the Bite of Seattle tragedy reflects the very best of who they are,” he said. “I am proud of them, and I have deep faith in the future of this department and in the vision for community-based policing that is taking root here.”Wilson thanked Barnes for serving in his role since December 2024.“The courage and professionalism that the officers of the Seattle Police Department showed deserves to be honored,” she said. “I share Chief Barnes’s hope that we can return our focus to addressing youth gun violence and ensuring that every family can feel safe in their neighborhood and across the city.”The socialist mayor, who once called for defunding the police, appointed Deputy Chief Andre Sayles as interim chief of the Seattle Police Department.Wilson will hold a press conference on Friday at 11 a.m. to introduce Sayles and provide further information on the process for selecting a full-time police chief.“I hope this transition gives the city and this department the opportunity to return full focus to what matters most, addressing youth gun violence and preventing more tragedies,” Barnes said. “That work is too important, and Seattle deserves nothing less.”FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH SEATTLE SHOOTINGA 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection with Sunday’s festival shooting and charged with first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. A second suspect remains at large. In the aftermath of the shooting, Wilson incorrectly said two suspects were taken into custody. She later retracted that statement.Before he resigned, Barnes said the arrested teenager carried a “ghost gun” with an extended magazine. The weapon was a 9 mm handgun from Polymer80, a now-defunct manufacturer of unserialized, homemade firearm parts. Authorities believe the violence that ensued was gang-related.