Seattle’s police chief, Shon Barnes, resigned on Thursday, July 30th, 2026, following widespread criticism of the city’s handling of a fatal shootout at a food festival the previous weekend. Mayor Katie Wilson announced the resignation after hours of speculation, noting that some supporters said Barnes had initially rebuffed her request to step down.

Wilson appointed deputy chief Andre Sayles, a law enforcement veteran with over two decades of experience, as interim chief. Barnes told the Seattle Times that whether he remained in his position was “up to the mayor” and said he was spending time with family.

The shooting involved a 15-year-old suspect who fired an untraceable "ghost gun" into a crowd. However, police court documents filed on Wednesday revealed that the bullets that fatally struck two bystanders did not match the teen’s weapon. Shell casings at the scene indicated that four weapons were fired, and police have been seeking to identify at least one other person involved.

At least four other bystanders were wounded in the crossfire, including a two-year-old boy. The King County prosecutor’s office has charged the teen with first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement and unlawful possession of a handgun by someone under 18. A conviction in adult court could result in eight to ten years in prison, plus an additional five years for the firearm enhancement.

Barnes, who was appointed by former Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell in December 2024 after serving as chief of the Madison, Wisconsin police department, had faced criticism for the police department’s delayed communication following the shooting. It took nearly five hours for police to provide additional information to the public after an initial social media post about the incident.

Patrick Michaud, a department spokesperson, noted that Barnes had made four trips to Chicago this year, spending about 18 days traveling there.

A police department spokesperson told the Associated Press that they did not have any information to share about the situation at the time of the announcement.

Sources