"I don't know who is in charge," ex-Seattle chief texted during Bite shooting
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Screenshots from a group text message thread between SPD senior command staff the night of the Bite of Seattle shooting. Courtesy of SPD
Nearly an hour after the Bite of Seattle mass shooting began, then-Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes sent a text message indicating he wasn't sure who had assumed command, newly released records show.
Why it matters: The text messages shed new light on the night's events, which Mayor Katie Wilson said contributed to her asking Barnes to resign a few days later.
- Barnes was out of town during the July 26 shooting, which killed three people and injured at least four others.
What they're saying: "I don't know who is in charge but someone needs to assume command and slow down then follow active shooter protocols," Barnes texted to a group of SPD command staff at 6:50pm that night, about 50 minutes after shots were fired at Seattle Center.
- Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis responded a minute later that he was in charge.
Context: The text messages, which the Seattle Police Department released Wednesday, come about two weeks after the mayor's office released its own communications from the night of the shooting.
- The new batch of records doesn't include all messages from Barnes' phone, which the department said are still being retrieved. But they provide an initial glimpse of the former chief's involvement that night.
- Barnes said he was in Dallas at a conference the day of the shooting. He also frequently traveled to visit his family in Chicago during his time as chief.
- Wilson has expressed a desire for the city's next police chief to be "visible, accountable, and present in our neighborhoods."
Zoom in: The messages show Sarah Smith, SPD's chief operating officer, saying that some of the delay in holding a press conference about the shooting was to wait for Wilson and Gov. Bob Ferguson to arrive.
- Officials waited five hours to provide the media and the public with a substantive update that night.
What's next: Barnes' remaining text messages could provide a fuller picture of the night's events.