Seattle police say Bite of Seattle mass shooting was a gang gunfight as questions mount over Mayor Katie Wilson’s response

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) now stated the deadly mass shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle was a gunfight between rival gangs, as new details emerged about the investigation and growing questions over Mayor Katie Wilson’s handling of the city’s response to the violence.

At a briefing Tuesday, Seattle police spokesperson Nicole Powell said investigators believe a 19-year-old man who was killed in Sunday’s shooting was one of the gunmen. Police also said a 15-year-old boy arrested at the scene was an associate of the suspected shooter.

“There were two groups firing in the area near the Armory during the Bite of Seattle,” Powell explained. “We believe two of the individuals were associates with each other.”

A total of three people, including the 19-year-old alleged gang member, were killed and four others were wounded in the shooting during the final day of the Bite of Seattle festival. Investigators continue searching for a third suspect who fled the scene and remains at large.

The new information comes as divisions appear to be emerging between the mayor’s office, SPD and members of the Seattle City Council over parts of the investigation and the city’s broader strategy for reducing gun violence.

Councilmember Maritza Rivera sent an email to media urging Wilson to partner with the National Network for Safe Communities, a violence-reduction strategy credited with lowering gun violence in several major U.S. cities, including helping to reduce gun violence in Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

“The mayor is fully aware of my efforts. I have reached out to her to partner on this work, and she has been non-committal,” Rivera said. “I also strongly urge the community to contact the mayor and voice their support for adopting this strategic approach.”

Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle also publicly called on the mayor to work with the council, writing that he will continue prioritizing public safety and that his thoughts are with the victims and their families.

“In the face of this tragedy, we must fully commit to a comprehensive approach to strengthening public safety across our city,” Kettle said. “I’ll continue to prioritize and drive this critical work within the Public Safety Committee, and I strongly urge the Wilson administration to partner in this effort.”

The statements suggest at least two councilmembers believe the mayor has not fully embraced a coordinated approach to addressing gun violence.

Questions also continued Tuesday about the city’s communication following Sunday’s shooting

During a Monday morning press conference, reporters pressed Wilson about why key information was delayed in the hours after the shooting. Separately, questions continue over the absence of SPD Police Chief Shon Barnes from the scene Sunday night.

KIRO Newsradio reporter James Lynch told the mayor during the event, “We’re partners with you guys … that’s what we do. We see ourselves as public servants, and we’re not always treated that way.”

“Absolutely, and what we’re doing here is we’re trying not to provide inaccurate information that later we have to walk back,” Wilson responded. “I appreciate you all being here and helping us in the all-important mission of keeping the public informed.”

Immediately after the a.m. press conference, reporters got a glimpse into what seemed to be rising tension among members of the Wilson Administration. That tension boiled over when South Seattle Emerald reporter Conner Nash questioned Barnes about reports that he frequently spends weekends and holidays with family in Chicago and whether he was out of town during the shooting.

Barnes, who was standing almost nose to nose with Nash, responded, “Let me tell you something … I don’t have to tell you where I go. I have a medical procedure I have to go to on Friday,” before being briefly interrupted by a fellow officer.

Barnes then continued in a tense tone, “No, no, no … you need to know this. I have been here working as hard as I can for this city from the day I got here. You got that?”

“But there are reports you’re not in town often,” Nash replied.

“No, no, no, no … the reports are wrong,” Barnes said before the other officer grabbed him and physically ushered him away through a doorway. Barnes said he was attending a conference in Dallas when the shooting occurred.

Barnes did not attend a second news conference Monday afternoon. Wilson explained Assistant Chief Nicole Powell attended instead because she is leading the investigation.

The investigation has also exposed conflicting public statements about surveillance video from Seattle Center.

Sunday night, Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis said CCTV cameras did not exist in Seattle Center, then later modified his response that there were cameras, but they didn’t capture any footage of the shooting or the suspects.

During the Monday morning briefing, Barnes said, “I do not know if we have video of it; I have not had a briefing on that just yet.”

Wilson then moved to the podium and said cameras do exist at Seattle Center, raising new questions about what video evidence investigators have obtained and whether footage of the shooting itself was recorded. “I’ve been told that Seattle Center does have cameras and we are in the process of pulling that footage to see if there’s anything relevant in there.”

Taken together, the conflicting public statements, questions about communication, apparent disagreements between the mayor and City Council, and differing accounts from city leaders paint a picture of an administration facing growing questions about how coordinated its response has been behind the scenes.

As investigators continue searching for the remaining suspect, the mayor’s office also drew criticism for unrelated public messaging.

Less than two days after the mass shooting, Wilson announced in an email the appointment of Kelli Larson as the new director of the Seattle Office of Housing, effective July 29.

One public relations expert consulted by KIRO Newsradio criticized the timing of the announcement, calling it “tone deaf.”

The expert added, “So, let’s not host a meeting on the shooting or gun safety and what we’re doing … let’s talk housing?”

Another PR expert and attorney who, for more than a decade, has worked in executive communications for a global company said the mayor’s team should have made the announcement a “soft release”. “Focus on the shooting. That’s PR 101,” said the expert. “Then once the incident wraps, you have more good news to bring, not a distraction attempt. It comes across as either rookie or inexperienced.”

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