Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has named Deputy Chief Andre Sayles as interim police chief after Shon Barnes left the position days after a deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival. Reports conflict on the circumstances of Barnes' departure: Fox News reported that Barnes resigned, while Fortune reported that Wilson fired him. Al Jazeera also described Barnes as stepping down amid questions over the authorities' handling of the shooting.
Wilson credited the quick police response with potentially saving lives, but acknowledged that the city was slow to communicate in the aftermath. According to Fortune, the city failed to alert the public for five hours after the shooting.