Seattle police chief steps down after festival shooting criticism

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes resigned on Thursday, a week after a shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival left three dead and four injured, including a two-year-old child. Mayor Katie Wilson named Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, who has more than 20 years of law-enforcement experience, as interim chief.

The shooting occurred while Barnes attended a law-enforcement conference outside the city. Police said a 15-year-old suspect opened fire on the crowd and was persuaded to surrender, but officials are still searching for at least one additional suspect.

Wilson praised the officers’ on-scene response, saying it likely saved lives, but acknowledged shortcomings in public communication. She noted that after an initial social-media post, the department provided no further updates for nearly five hours and failed to issue alerts through the city’s emergency notification system. The mayor also incorrectly announced that two suspects had been taken into custody before later correcting the statement.

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

Barnes, in a statement released by the mayor’s office, called his tenure “an honor” and expressed hope that his departure would allow the department to refocus on youth gun violence prevention. He previously told The Seattle Times that his continuation as chief was “up to the mayor.”

Black community groups, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, urged Wilson not to make Barnes a scapegoat for broader public-safety challenges, citing his work to improve police-community relations and reduce gun violence. Several city council members also defended Barnes, noting Seattle has had four police chiefs in less than three years.

Barnes, appointed in late 2024 after leading the Madison Police Department in Wisconsin, remained in his role when Wilson, a democratic socialist, took office earlier this year. His resignation comes as Seattle prepares for the upcoming Seafair festival.