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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes has been scrutinized over his whereabouts after a fatal mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival at Seattle Center on Sunday.
Three were killed in the shooting, and four others were wounded, before police arrested a 15-year-old suspect.
Barnes was at a conference in Dallas, Texas, when the shooting occurred. The Seattle Police and the city's Mayor, Katie Wilson, also faced criticism over delays and confusion in releasing information to the public.
Since then, multiple unconfirmed reports have emerged that Barnes has been asked to resign. Fox News reported that Wilson had relieved Barnes of his duties, citing five unnamed sources.
The gunfire erupted at around 6 p.m. at the annual three-day festival, which began in 1982 and draws more than 350,000 attendees and hundreds of food and retail vendors, according to its website.
Dozens of officers were assigned to provide security at the festival, and some witnessed one of the suspects firing a weapon.
Police believe that at least three people were involved in the shooting and allege that the shooters included a 15-year-old who was arrested in the case, an acquaintance who was killed at the scene, and "at least one other unknown suspect" who is yet to be identified.
A large police and emergency response presence was mobilized at the scene, and officers evacuated the area.
News that investigators believe that there are at least three suspects involved followed a series of conflicting public statements and confusion in the hours and days after the attack.
Newsweek has contacted the Seattle Mayor’s Office and the Seattle Police Department via email outside of standard working hours for comment.
Barnes is an American law enforcement leader whose career has spanned classrooms, small‑city departments, and two major U.S. police agencies. Barnes, a former history teacher, rose through the ranks in Salisbury, North Carolina, where he served as deputy chief from 2017 to 2020 before becoming chief of police in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2021.
His tenure in Madison emphasized community‑focused policing and data‑driven reforms, positioning him as a national voice on modern law enforcement practices.
In January 2025, Barnes was appointed chief of the Seattle Police Department, a role he held until July 2026. His leadership in Seattle drew both praise and scrutiny, particularly over his decision to reside in Chicago and commute to work—an arrangement that became a point of controversy during his administration.
Barnes is deeply involved in national policing reform efforts. He serves on the executive board of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, advises the University of Virginia’s Center for Public Safety and Justice, and contributes to the National Policing Institute’s Council on Policing Reforms and Race.
He holds a Ph.D. in leadership studies from North Carolina A&T State University, grounding his policing philosophy in academic research and organizational leadership.
On Sunday, the Seattle police waited for roughly five hours before they announced that one suspected shooter was in custody, and that one may still be at large.
Earlier in the day, Wilson incorrectly said that two people had been taken into custody.
At a news conference on Monday, Barnes said that investigators were uncertain whether a second suspected shooter was among those killed, and neither he nor Wilson discussed possible additional suspects at the time.
City officials have defended their response, saying they delayed releasing information to ensure the details about the incident were accurate.
Barnes was not in Seattle at the time of the shooting. He was in Dallas, attending a conference of Black law enforcement executives.
While speaking to the press on Monday, Barnes was questioned about his whereabouts and travel schedule.
He said, "Part of being a leader is being here and being visible and being present, and part of being a leader in a major city is that sometimes I have obligations and I wanted to be at the conference to support one of our community members," Barnes said.
Asked how often he travels to Chicago, where his wife and children live, Barnes said, "Certainly, I don’t travel as often as I would like to," he said. "Reports that I’m gone every weekend are grossly misstated."
In an instance that has quickly gone viral, South Seattle reporter Connor Nash pressed Barnes about his schedule, leading to a heated exchange where he replied, "I have been here working as hard as I can for this city from the day I got here. You got that?"
Barnes has served as the Chief of the Seattle Police Department since July 2025. Prior to this, he was the chief of police of Madison, Wisconsin from 2021 to 2025.
Barnes had been scheduled to conduct interviews with the Seattle media on Wednesday afternoon, but outlets including KUOW have said those interviews were canceled.
The shooting victims have been identified as two men—aged 19 and 44—and a woman, aged 56.
Of the four injured, two men, aged 23 and 27 and a woman, aged 39, were treated and released, according to a hospital spokeswoman. A two-year-old boy was in satisfactory condition as of Monday.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
In court documents filed on Wednesday, police said that preliminary testing has shown that the bullets that killed two bystanders during the shooting did not come from the 15-year-old suspect, seen firing at the scene.
The teenager shot an untraceable ghost gun into the crowd.
Police believe the shooting was gang-related and continue to search for others who may have been involved.
On Wednesday, the police department opened an online portal where the public can share videos and photos from the shooting.
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