Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes Resigns Amid Criticism Over Festival Shooting Response

Seattle police chief Shon Barnes stepped down on Thursday after city officials and community leaders criticized the police department’s delayed public updates following a shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival last weekend. Mayor Katie Wilson said she would appoint Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a veteran with more than 20 years of law-enforcement experience, as interim chief.

Barnes, who was out of town at a law-enforcement conference when the incident occurred, told The Seattle Times that his continued service was “up to the mayor.” In a statement, he expressed gratitude for his time in office and said he hoped the transition would allow the department to focus on “addressing youth gun violence and preventing more tragedies.”

The shooting left three people dead, including a suspect, and wounded four others, among them a two-year-old boy. Court documents indicate a 15-year-old suspect fired into the crowd before surrendering, while police continue to search for at least one additional individual.

Mayor Wilson acknowledged that police response helped prevent further casualties but noted that the city took nearly five hours to release additional information after the initial social-media alert, and it did not use the emergency alert system. An update was finally provided by Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis around 11 p.m. on Sunday during a news conference attended by the mayor, Governor Bob Ferguson and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal.

“What I did not fully understand in that moment was how little information had reached the public or the press since the incident began at 6 p.m.,” Wilson said in a video statement.

Several Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, issued an open letter urging the mayor not to make Barnes a scapegoat for broader public-safety challenges. At least six city council members also voiced support for Barnes, highlighting the department’s recent turnover, with four chiefs appointed in less than three years.

Barnes, the city’s second Black police chief, was appointed in December 2024 by former Mayor Bruce Harrell after serving as chief of the Madison, Wisconsin, police department. Mayor Wilson, who previously advocated for police reform, retained Barnes after taking office, signaling continuity in public-safety policy.

The resignation occurs as Seattle prepares for the Seafair Weekend Festival 2026, a major boating and air-show event scheduled to begin Friday.