Police told reporters Seattle shooting briefing was delayed for ‘dignitaries,’ but Wilson says that’s not what happened

Three people were killed, and four others were wounded in a mass shooting at Seattle’s Bite of Seattle festival Sunday evening, leaving city leaders facing questions not only about the violence, but also about how information was communicated to the public in the hours that followed.

Seattle police responded just after 6 p.m. to reports of gunfire near the Seattle Center Armory, where thousands of people were attending the annual food festival. Investigators say two people exchanged gunfire, striking multiple bystanders caught in the crossfire.

A 19-year-old man and a 44-year-old man died at the scene. A 56-year-old woman later died at Harborview Medical Center. Four others were injured, including a 2-year-old child, a 23-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman and a 40-year-old woman. Police said one suspect was arrested and two firearms were recovered. Investigators believe at least one additional shooter remains outstanding.

As families waited for answers, confusion emerged over the city’s public messaging.

The Seattle Mayor’s Office initially announced that two people had been arrested. Seattle police later clarified that only one suspect was in custody.

The incorrect information was later corrected, but the discrepancy underscored the challenges of communicating accurate information during a rapidly evolving mass casualty incident. Police and the Mayor say that one suspect is a 15-year-old due to make a court appearance Monday afternoon.

“If we had been reporting up to the minute everything that we were hearing in the swirl that happened last night, there would have been a lot of inaccuracies out there that would have confused people and that we then would have had to correct,” Wilson explained during a second news conference at City Hall Monday morning. “So, we are managing this tension, and we are doing the best that we can to provide accurate information in a timely manner without increasing confusion.”

The city’s first formal media briefing did not begin until shortly before 11 p.m. A police officer told reporters the briefing had been delayed because “other dignitaries wanted to be there,” including Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal.

During the briefing, Ferguson offered condolences to the victims and their families, calling the shooting heartbreaking and saying his thoughts were especially with the family of the injured 2-year-old child.

Mayor Wilson says they were waiting for SPD to clear nearby IMAX theater

During Monday’s press conference, reporters asked the mayor to go on the record with the reason for the delay after a police public information officer told reporters waiting outside the Museum of Pop Culture there was a delay to wait for other dignitaries, perhaps Ferguson and Jayapal, to arrive and join the press conference.

However, the mayor said she was not waiting for dignitaries to arrive and that she was waiting with Ferguson and Jayapal at a different location, waiting for the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to clear the nearby IMAX theater after reports a second suspect may have run inside.

“As soon as we coordinated with SPD and agreed that it was time to talk to the media, as soon as we knew that we were going to be doing that, I, Governor Ferguson and Congresswoman Jayapal arrived on the scene within minutes,” Wilson said.

SPD Chief Shon Barnes reiterated Wilson’s answer.

“We had a second scene that was only cleared a couple of minutes before the actual press conference and we’re trying to get information out as often as we can, but our focus is on the search for the suspect, and so we will certainly, as I stated before, we have no problem with doing after-action reviews, understanding how to work better with our communication strategy, ” Barnes said. “Because I believe that the public has a right to participate in their own public safety, they can only do that if we get our information out, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

SPD Chief Shon Barnes was absent from Sunday’s news conference

Barnes was notably absent from Sunday night’s news conference. Monday, he explained he was attending an event out of state.

“I was in Dallas at the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Conference. It’s their 50th anniversary. At that conference, two members from our community were being honored,” he explained. “I wanted to be there for that. That’s why I was not here.”

Wilson was also asked about CCTV cameras at Seattle Center, whether they were activated and captured any images of any suspects, and whether the shooting has changed her mind about switching certain cameras off and placing the city’s CCTV program on hold until an audit can be completed. Wilson has said she wants to prevent federal agents from using camera footage for immigration enforcement and other reasons.

“I’ve been told that the Seattle Center does have cameras, and we are in the process of pulling out footage to see if there’s anything relevant in there,” Wilson said. “The safety of the residents of Seattle is my highest responsibility, and I take that very seriously. In the course that we’ve charted on the CCTV cameras, which is a matter of public record, that means balancing various kinds of safety for different communities, and that is the motivation behind the course that we’re taking.”

‘I’m not sure where the camera placements are’: Barnes can’t confirm CCTV footage of Seattle shooting

When Chief Barnes was asked to elaborate on potential CCTV footage of the incident, he said, “I do not know if we have video of it. I have not had a briefing on that just yet. I’m not sure where the camera placements are.”

Barnes was also asked about confusion surrounding a potential second shooting suspect on the loose. Sunday night, SPD said they were looking for a second shooter, but the community was safe, and there was no ongoing threat.

Monday, Barnes clarified, “What we want to get out to the public is that the interior scene, what we call our inner perimeter, was secure. I believe that’s the message that we were trying to get out.”

He also seemed to fire back at reporters after questions about sharing accurate and timely information by reiterating, “You just stated that accuracy is important, so we want to take our time and make sure that we’re accurate.”

Sources on social media claim the two shooters, including the 15-year-old who was arrested, are rival gang members. Those sources also claim the 19-year-old shot and killed at the scene was a third gang member, and the shooting was retaliation.

Barnes on gang speculation: ‘It is possible, but we do not know until we do the investigation’

Barnes addressed that speculation when asked whether one of the victims could have also been a gang member.

“It is possible, but we do not know if that is the case until we do the investigation,” Barnes replied before he addressed speculation about a second shooter still at large. “We have to determine if this person is a part of a group or a part of a gang, what the ongoing conflict was, but we’re going to do that.”

Police said detectives continue interviewing witnesses and reviewing evidence to identify everyone involved. Assistant Chief Davis said investigators currently believe two people were shooting at each other before innocent bystanders were struck.

Authorities are asking anyone with photos, video, or information about the shooting to contact the Seattle Police Department’s tip line at 206-233-5000.

The investigation remains ongoing, and police said additional information is expected to be released as detectives continue their work.

“We understand that people are angry. You should be. Everyone should be angry,” Barnes said toward the end of Monday’s news conference. “But with that anger, you should also be asking yourself, ‘What can I do to prevent this?’ We have to start partnering together; we have to start working together on this issue of gun violence and getting information out and providing opportunities for people so that things like this do not happen.”

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