There was a shooting at Seattle’s food festival last weekend, but no one would have known. The Bite of Seattle event was wrapping up on Sunday when tragedy struck: two individuals reportedly opened fire on each other, resulting in a mass casualty incident. Three people were killed, with another four injured.
But no emergency alerts were sent to city residents, and it took hours to receive reliable information as the city leader and police department mishandled the post-incident press conference.
The actions of the brave officers who intervened, arresting a 15-year-old and saving the life of a wounded child, are now forgotten. The media had to wait hours for a preliminary press conference, which was reportedly delayed by police because Gov. Bob Ferguson and Rep. Pramila Jayapal were en route and supposedly waiting to join. They didn’t. They also said they weren’t even aware of the press conference until they arrived on scene at 10 PM. So, who issued that order? What we do know is that Police Chief Shon Barnes wasn’t even in the state when this incident happened; he was attending a conference in Dallas, Texas (via KOMO News):
NEW: Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes is under enormous pressure for failing to be at Sunday night’s Seattle Center press conference. Critics say he should have been there to update the community about the mass shooting.
— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) July 27, 2026
Barnes says he was at a pre-planned conference in Dallas,… pic.twitter.com/OqoXrQQM3d
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes looked ready to fight a reporter asking (rightly) about his own frequent absences. This is unacceptable and a fireable offense. https://t.co/62A0DU0fzN
— Jason Rantz on Seattle Red (@jasonrantz) July 27, 2026
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Seattle officials are facing mounting questions over why the public received no emergency text alert and waited hours for accurate information after a deadly shooting at Seattle Center left three people dead and another suspected shooter at large.
Paul Nicholas, a vendor at the Bite of Seattle, said his booth had a direct line of sight to where the gunfire erupted outside the Seattle Center Armory.
Nicholas said he received no direct updates from Seattle Center, the Seattle Police Department or Mayor Katie Wilson's office about whether the area was safe, whether police were searching for another shooter or when vendors could retrieve their property.
[…]
Questions persisted Monday over why the public was not told sooner that police were searching for another armed person, even if investigators did not yet know that person's identity or whereabouts.
The tension spilled into a sharp exchange between Barnes and Connor Nash of the South Seattle Emerald, who pressed the chief over the delay and the lack of basic information available to the public.
Barnes defended the department's focus on securing the scene and searching for the second person. He also acknowledged that the public needs timely information to make decisions about its own safety.
"The public has a right to participate in their own public safety," Barnes said. "They can only do that if we get our information out."
Barnes reportedly isn’t around much, which led to a dispute with Connor Nash of the South Seattle Emerald. No one knew about the shooters, whether they were still on the loose, or where to go for shelter. AlertSeattle, the city’s emergency network, was not activated. Why? We don’t know. And now, more than 17 hours after the shooting, the second person of interest is still at large, and they haven’t reviewed the available security camera footage:
A shooter is still on the loose after an incident at Seattle Center. It took SPD five hours to warn the public. 17 hours in — the video footage from the cameras all around Seattle Center still hasn't been reviewed. Gee Scott walked away from the press conference confused:… pic.twitter.com/xtid6q7k22
— KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM🎙 (@KIRONewsradio) July 27, 2026
The city also did not activate AlertSeattle, its emergency notification system, to send text messages, emails or phone alerts about the shooting or the search for the second person.
Seattle describes AlertSeattle as its official emergency notification system and says it distributes critical public safety information during emergencies. The city's Office of Emergency Management calls it the "best way" for the public to receive emergency information. Wilson said she was unsure whether the system would normally be used under those circumstances.
[…]
Councilmember Bob Kettle, who chairs the council's Public Safety Committee, said concerns about AlertSeattle were legitimate.
"It's a very good point," Kettle said.
When asked directly why no emergency alerts were issued, Kettle said, "I don't have the answer to that question."
What a circus.
No other way to describe it. Utter incompetence in Seattle. https://t.co/TCtisHdLdQ
— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) July 28, 2026
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