Seattle's interim police chief, Andre Sayles, has faced ridicule and criticism after using the term "trigger-pullers" instead of "shooter" or "gunman" when discussing suspects in a wave of weekend gun violence. He made the remark during a 7 September briefing in which he outlined the police department's response to three fatal shootings that left three people dead within roughly 24 hours over the Labor Day weekend, reigniting debate over violent crime in the city and the police force's ability to catch those responsible.

The shootings began early on Sunday when a fight linked to a street takeover near Denny Way and Clay Street left a 20-year-old man dead and two others wounded; a woman was then found fatally shot in a vehicle in Belltown around an hour later, and a third shooting before midnight killed a 17-year-old and seriously injured a 21-year-old. Police said the incidents appeared unconnected and no arrests had been made at the time of the briefing, with detectives reviewing witness accounts and hundreds of hours of surveillance footage. Sayles, appointed interim chief by Mayor Katie Wilson in July 2026, said the term "trigger-puller" is used informally within the community and noted it has previously been used by US law enforcement figures, including former FBI Director Christopher Wray.