Seattle Mayor Faces Pressure to Replace Police Chief After Shooting

WHO:

Boston.com - Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson

ABC News - Police Chief Shon Barnes

ABC News - Sheley Secrest, president of the Washington state NAACP

ABC News - Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis

ABC News - Gov. Bob Ferguson

ABC News - U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal

ABC News - Civil rights lawyer James Bible

ABC News - Sandeep Kaushik, Seattle political consultant

ABC News - Several Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

WHAT:

Boston.com - Police Chief Shon Barnes resigned after criticism of his response to a shooting.

ABC News - Mayor Wilson may oust Police Chief Barnes following public criticism over the response to a fatal shootout.

ABC News - Three people, including one suspect, were killed, and four were wounded in the shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival.

ABC News - One of the injured was a 2-year-old boy.

ABC News - It took nearly five hours for police to provide additional information to the public after the shooting.

ABC News - An open letter from Black community organizations stated that Barnes should not be made a scapegoat for public safety challenges.

WHERE:

ABC News - The shooting occurred at the Bite of Seattle, a food festival under the Space Needle in Seattle.

ABC News - Barnes was attending a law enforcement conference out of town when the shooting happened.

WHEN:

ABC News - The shooting occurred during an annual three-day festival.

ABC News - Barnes was appointed as police chief in December 2024.

WHY:

ABC News - Mayor Wilson faced public criticism for the police department's slow and confusing communication following the shooting.

ABC News - Community organizations rallied to support Barnes, arguing that his removal would disrupt progress in public safety.

HOW:

ABC News - Police were present at the event, and at least one officer persuaded a 15-year-old suspect to surrender after witnessing the shooting.

ABC News - Barnes has made multiple trips to Chicago this year, totaling about 18 days away from Seattle.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 00:23 UTC)

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is considering the removal of Police Chief Shon Barnes following his resignation amid criticism of the police response to a shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival, where three people were killed and four others, including a 2-year-old boy, were injured. The shooting raised concerns over the police department's communication, as it took nearly five hours for them to provide additional information to the public, prompting support for Barnes from several Black community organizations who argue that he should not be blamed for broader public safety issues. Barnes, who was appointed in December 2024, was attending a law enforcement conference out of town when the incident occurred, and community leaders are warning that his ousting could disrupt progress in public safety efforts.