Seattle mayor says police chief resigns after criticism of response to festival shooting

Seattle's police chief has resigned amid criticism of the city's response to a fatal shootout at a food festival last weekend, Mayor Katie Wilson said Thursday, ending hours of speculation during which supporters said Shon Barnes had rebuffed her request that he step down.

Wilson named Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a law enforcement veteran with more than two decades of experience, as interim chief.

Barnes was out of town at a law enforcement conference when gunfire erupted at the Bite of Seattle, the annual three-day festival. Three people, including one suspect, were killed and four were wounded, among them a 2-year-old boy. Dozens of officers were on site, and one persuaded a 15-year-old suspect to surrender after seeing him fire into the crowd. Police are still searching for at least one other person.

Both the department and Wilson drew fire for slow, confusing communication. Nearly five hours passed before police shared any details beyond an initial post, including whether a threat remained, and Wilson retracted an announcement that two people were in custody. Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis finally delivered an update around 11 p.m. Sunday at a news conference also attended by the mayor, Gov. Bob Ferguson and Rep. Pramila Jayapal.

Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP, rallied to save Barnes' job, arguing he should not be scapegoated for complex public safety challenges.