Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes Resigns Amid Criticism Over Festival Shooting Response
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced the resignation of Police Chief Shon Barnes and named Deputy Chief Andre Sayles as interim chief after the city faced backlash for delayed communication following a fatal shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival.
Seattle police chief Shon Barnes stepped down on Thursday after city officials and community leaders criticized the department’s slow release of information following a deadly shootout at the Bite of Seattle food festival last weekend. Mayor Katie Wilson said Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a veteran with more than 20 years of law-enforcement experience, will serve as interim chief.
Barnes told The Seattle Times that his continued service was “up to the mayor” and said he was spending the day with family. In a statement, Wilson thanked Barnes for his service, and Barnes expressed that he hoped the transition would allow the department to focus on “addressing youth gun violence and preventing more tragedies.”
The shooting at the three-day festival 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.
Officials acknowledged that the city’s communication was delayed. After an initial social media post, it took nearly five hours for police to provide further details, and no emergency alert was issued. Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis gave an update 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.
Community groups, 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. Six city council members also voiced support, noting the department had had four chiefs 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. He faced criticism for making four trips to Chicago, where his family resides, totaling about 18 days this year, according to department spokesperson Sgt. Patrick Michaud.
The resignation comes as Seattle prepares for the Seafair Weekend Festival 2026, a major boating and air-show event scheduled to begin Friday.