Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has defended her decision to push out police chief Shon Barnes, days after he stepped down amid criticism of his handling of a mass shooting at a food festival. Barnes had faced backlash for being out of the city when the shooting occurred, and for later losing his temper at a reporter who questioned his frequent absences, reportedly linked to his family living in Chicago. Wilson said the change was necessary given a "sense of urgency" ahead of major summer events, rejected criticism from city council colleagues who opposed the leadership change, and indicated she may release Barnes's calendar amid claims he travelled excessively.

The shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival on Sunday killed three people, including bystanders Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, and Ashley W, and injured four others; police believe at least three young people, including a 19-year-old thought to be one of the gunmen, were responsible. Wilson also acknowledged serious communication failures following the attack, including a near three-hour delay in releasing information, inaccuracies in the initial statement, and a failure to activate the AlertSeattle emergency notification system, which she said resulted from a miscommunication between departments. She said she was reviewing protocols to ensure clearer, faster public communication in future incidents, while accepting some responsibility for the breakdown.