Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes is facing renewed questions after he was out of town when a mass shooting erupted Sunday, killing three people and intensifying scrutiny over a role that has kept him separated from his wife and children, who live in Chicago.
The gunfire broke out Sunday evening at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle, the city’s annual food festival. Three people were killed and four others were wounded after as many as three shooters exchanged fire, leaving bystanders caught in the chaos.
Barnes was not in Seattle at the time of the shooting. He was in Dallas, Texas, attending the annual conference of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, a fact that quickly drew criticism as the city dealt with the deadly violence.
“I wish that I had a crystal ball and we could schedule gun violence, but we can’t,” Barnes said.
The police chief also pushed back sharply when a reporter asked how often he is physically in Seattle, referring to a PubliCola report that said Barnes spends most weekends out of town, where his family remains in Chicago.
“Those reports are wrong, do you understand?” Barnes said, as a staffer appeared to intervene and urged, “let’s go.”
MORE STORY: Photo Shows Rape-Accused Tate Brothers at Elite DC Club
“I have been here working as hard as I can for this city from the day I got here, you got that?” Barnes added.
Asked separately about how much time he spends in Chicago, Barnes responded, “Certainly I don’t travel as often as I would like to.”
“Any reports that I am gone every weekend are grossly misstated. I don’t have that kind of money. I’m here in Seattle. I love the neighborhood. I love my community, they love me,” he said.
Seattle police believed a conflict between small groups appeared to have been the cause of the shooting.
“We believe this teenager opened fire in the crowd, but details are still under investigation,” Democratic Socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Seattle Police Department for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
