Several council members have criticized Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson for her decision to push out former police chief Shon Barnes days after the shooting.
The interim chief of Seattle police is speaking at the city council’s public safety committee Tuesday and answer questions about the response to a shooting at the Bite of Seattle last month.
The July 26 shooting at Seattle Center killed three people and wounded four others. Investigators said teenage gang members were shooting at each other in the crowd, striking multiple bystanders.
According to police, one of the deceased, 19-year-old Junior Niko-Semo, also fired a gun during the shootout. A 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene and charged with assault, though investigators said evidence shows he did not fire the fatal shots.
According to police, one of the deceased, 19-year-old Junior Niko-Semo, also fired a gun during the shootout. A 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene and charged with assault, though investigators said evidence shows he did not fire the fatal shots.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Interim Chief of Police Andre Sayles is expected to update the council on the search for a third suspect who investigators believe was involved in the shooting but escaped, as well as address concerns about the city’s response to the incident.
Several council members have criticized Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson for her decision to push out former police chief Shon Barnes days after the shooting.
Councilmember Maritza Rivera called the Mayor’s decision to oust Barnes “impulsive” and “reckless.”
“(Wilson’s) lack of experience and her incompetence have led to poor decision making and put the safety of the public at risk,” Rivera told KOMO News.
The Mayor admitted the city made several critical failures in the hours after the shooting, including the decision to not use the Alert Seattle system to send out updates to the public, and a delay of five hours to brief the press and announce one suspect had been apprehended while others may have gotten away.
Public safety committee chair Bob Kettle announced at a council briefing Monday that a second hearing will be held in September to review the city’s response to the shooting.
