Seattle police chief resigns after deadly food festival shooting

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced on Thursday that Police Chief Shon Barnes has resigned, days after a deadly shootout at a food festival drew intense scrutiny over the department's handling of the incident.

The shooting occurred last weekend at the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day event featuring hundreds of food vendors and performers. Three people were killed, including one suspect, and four others were wounded—among them a two-year-old boy. Court documents show that dozens of officers were present at the festival, and at least one officer saw a 15-year-old suspect firing into a crowd and quickly persuaded him to surrender. Police are still searching for at least one additional person.

Barnes was out of town attending a law enforcement conference when the shooting happened. The police department and the mayor faced sharp criticism for slow and confusing communication in the aftermath. An initial social media post confirmed multiple victims but then no updates were provided for nearly five hours, leaving the public unsure if the threat remained active. Mayor Wilson prematurely said two people had been taken into custody, a statement she later withdrew. Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis finally briefed the public around 11 p.m. Sunday, at a news conference also attended by the mayor, Governor Bob Ferguson, and U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal.

Barnes, the second Black police chief in Seattle’s history, was appointed by former Mayor Bruce Harrell in December 2024 after serving as Madison, Wisconsin’s police chief. Current Mayor Wilson, a democratic socialist who once supported defunding the police, kept Barnes in place after winning election last year as a signal to business and community groups that public safety policy would not radically change.

In recent months, Barnes faced criticism for frequent trips to Chicago, where his family lives. Department spokesperson Sgt. Patrick Michaud said Barnes had made four trips to Chicago this year, totaling about 18 days. Several Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, rallied to defend Barnes, crediting him with improving police-community relations and reducing gun violence.

Wilson named Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a 20-year law enforcement veteran, as interim chief. Barnes told the Seattle Times he was “off for the day and spending time with family” and deferred to the mayor on whether he would remain in position.