Katie Wilson delayed presser on deadly Bite of Seattle shooting so more Dems could get in front of the cameras: report

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is facing mounting criticism over her administration’s response to Sunday’s deadly Bite Of Seattle shooting, after residents were left waiting hours for answers while city leaders prepared a public briefing that included several prominent Democratic officials.

The shooting left three people dead and at least four others injured after gunfire erupted at Seattle Center, sending thousands of festivalgoers fleeing for safety. But as panic spread and residents searched for information, officials waited hours before publicly confirming key details, including that a suspect remained at large.

Five hours passed between the shooting and the first official statements alerting the public that an active threat may still have existed. During that time, Mayor Wilson, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, incorrectly stated that two suspects were in custody, a claim later corrected by investigators.

The city’s first major briefing included Governor Bob Ferguson and Dem Representative Pramila Jayapal, a carefully coordinated political response of party politicians. Residents were left waiting for basic safety information from police. Wilson attempted to deny such claims on Monday. “There are times when elected officials’ presence is not helpful. And that was one of those times,” she said. “We don’t want our law enforcement officials distracted taking care of elected officials when they have work to do.”

A Seattle Police Department source told Fox 13 that the police department had been ready to hold a press conference on the matter hours earlier, however, the mayor’s office stopped them. Officers had wanted to hold the briefing on Sunday night to update the public, however, Wilson’s office reportedly told the department to wait until “dignitaries” arrived. Wilson denied the claims. 

Bizarrely, the city did not use AlertSeattle to notify residents that Seattle Center was secured and that the public should avoid the area. Councilmember Bob Kettle, who chairs Seattle Council’s Public Safety Committee, said the system should have been used.

“At the very least, to keep people away and let them know it’s been contained,” Kettle said.

The controversy has added to continuous criticism surrounding Seattle’s public safety leadership, including scrutiny of Police Chief Shon Barnes’ absence during the shooting. Barnes was attending a police conference in Dallas when the attack occurred and returned overnight for Monday’s briefing, where he said, "I don't travel as often as I would like to," and turned to Mayor Wilson, saying, "Affordability is something we are working on, right?" despite receiving over $374,000 a year as police chief.

Police say the shooting appears to have been gang-related, with suspects exchanging gunfire near the Seattle Center Armory and bullets striking bystanders. A 15-year-old suspect has been arrested, while police continue searching for another possible suspect.