SEATTLE (AP) – — Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes has stepped down following mounting scrutiny over the city’s handling of a deadly shooting at a popular food festival last weekend, Mayor Katie Wilson announced Thursday.
The resignation came after hours of uncertainty over Barnes’ future, with some allies saying he had initially resisted Wilson’s request for him to leave the post.
Wilson said Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a longtime law enforcement official with more than 20 years of experience, will serve as interim police chief.
Earlier Thursday, Barnes told The Seattle Times that his status as chief was “up to the mayor.” He said he had taken the day off and was spending time with his family. A Seattle Police Department spokesperson told The Associated Press that he had no additional information to provide.
Barnes was away at a law enforcement conference when shots rang out at the Bite of Seattle, the city’s annual three-day festival featuring hundreds of food vendors, retailers and performers. Three people were killed, including one suspect, and four others were injured. Among the wounded was a 2-year-old boy.
Dozens of officers were already stationed at the festival when the gunfire broke out. According to court records, at least one officer saw a 15-year-old suspect shooting into the crowd and quickly convinced him to surrender. Authorities said they are still looking for at least one additional person connected to the violence.
In the days since the shooting, both the Seattle Police Department and Wilson have come under criticism for what residents and officials described as delayed and unclear public communication.
Police first posted on social media that a shooting with multiple victims had occurred, but nearly five hours passed before the department released further details, including whether the public faced any continuing danger. During that gap, Wilson said two people had been taken into custody, a statement she later walked back.
Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis finally provided an update around 11 p.m. Sunday night during news conference that was also attended by the mayor, Gov. Bob Ferguson and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
Barnes is the second Black police chief in Seattle.
Several Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, rallied to try to save his job Thursday. In an open letter to the mayor’s office, they credited him with improving relations between the department and the community, helping reduce gun violence and strengthening the department’s operations.
“This is the wrong decision at the wrong time and would disrupt Seattle’s progress in public safety,” the letter said. “The tragic fatal shooting at the Bite of Seattle was heartbreaking for our city, but Chief Barnes should not be made a scapegoat for the complex challenges of public safety.”
Civil rights lawyer James Bible was with a small group of Black leaders who met with Wilson early Thursday. Wilson didn’t “tip her hand” regarding whether she’ll fire Barnes but appeared to be considering their argument in favor of keeping him on the job, he said.
“I’m hopeful that she will take a step back and make a different decision for now and then create criteria for any future decisions,” Bible said.
Barnes was appointed by Seattle’s previous mayor, Bruce Harrell, in December 2024 after serving as chief of the Madison, Wisconsin, police department.
When Wilson – a democratic socialist who once supported defunding police – won the mayor’s race last year, she kept Barnes on as chief. That was a signal to the city’s business establishment and community groups that she did not intend to take a radically different approach to public safety.
Wilson came into office with no prior elected or management experience, but with a reputation as someone who thought deeply about social and policy issues. A lingering question was how decisively she would act as mayor.
“She looks weak and vacillating,” Seattle political consultant Sandeep Kaushik said Thursday. “There’s almost 24 hours now where it’s not clear whether the police chief is still the police chief.”
Barnes has faced some criticism for spending time in Chicago, where his family lives. Sgt. Patrick Michaud, a department spokesperson, said Thursday that Barnes has made four trips to Chicago this year and spent in total about 18 days traveling there. Barnes also has traveled to several police executive and recruitment conferences.
Barnes was named as the chief of police in Seattle five days after he was thrust into the national spotlight because of a shooting at a religious school in Wisconsin that killed a teacher and student. At the time, Harrell said Barnes had demonstrated “impressive leadership capabilities” during an investigation into the shooting.
The tension between the mayor and police chief comes as Seattle heads into another big festival weekend. Seafair Weekend Festival 2026 – a boating event, air show and festival – starts Friday.
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