(The Center Square) - As the controversy continues over how Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Seattle Police dealt with the aftermath of the Bite of Seattle shooting, Wilson issued an executive order aimed at improving the city’s response to major emergencies.
A key part of Wilson's order requires the Mayor's Office and Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management to work together to implement “clear standards” for when to activate the City’s AlertSeattle system, which sends text messages to users about emergencies, such as mass casualty events or natural disasters.
The system was never implemented after the Bite of Seattle food festival shooting that left three dead.
Previously, Wilson has said the Alert System was not used because city officials didn’t want to create unnecessary alarm.
“It should have been used in that instance,” she said Thursday of the Bite of Seattle shooting.
Wilson didn’t explain further why the alert wasn’t sounded.
She said the Office of Inspector General will deal with it in its probe of the city’s response to the shooting. The probe's results are expected in November.
The public was left mostly in the dark after the shooting, including a nearly five-hour delay in the city holding a press conference after the shooting to let people know that the Seattle Center area was safe.
Shots were first reported just after 6 p.m. that night; the press conference wasn’t held until around 11 p.m.
After Wilson’s morning press conference, she issued a joint statement Thursday afternoon with Interim Police Chief Andre Sayles addressing the Bite of Seattle communications breakdown.
“Since the incident, we have been working collaboratively to build a stronger, more transparent communications strategy between the Mayor's Office and the Seattle Police Department,” the statement said.
“Our shared goal is to ensure the public receives timely, accurate, and direct information, especially during moments that affect public safety and community trust."
The records released by the police department on Wednesday and by the mayor’s office earlier this month show that by 6:36 p.m. on July 26, Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis alerted colleagues that seven individuals had been shot — two fatally, with a toddler among the five injured — and noted investigators were assessing whether the shooting stemmed from gang activity or terrorism.
Minutes later at 6:50 p.m., Police Chief Shon Barnes messaged from out of state, expressing confusion over who was leading the response and directing someone to take command and execute active shooter protocols.
Davis replied immediately at 6:51 p.m. to confirm he was in charge and coordinating directly with Alison Holcomb, the mayor's public safety director.
Meanwhile, the department posted a brief initial message on social media at 6:30 p.m., but then went silent, leaving the public without updates as local anxiety escalated.
Behind the scenes, police possessed comprehensive facts by 7:20 p.m., including precise casualty counts that rose to three, messages show.
At 9:13 p.m., Assistant Chief Nicole Powell sent an internal text identifying the shooting as a gang-related feud.
Despite having this confirmed information, officials made no plans to issue electronic alerts or hold prompt briefings, choosing to withhold details.
Wilson’s office released a brief statement at 8:30 p.m. that contained inaccuracies — notably claiming two individuals were in custody instead of the actual one — which she was forced to retract the following day.
Communication breakdowns intensified around 9:30 p.m. as officials attempted to organize a formal press briefing.
Police communications initially slated a media conference for 9:45 p.m., but at 9:42 p.m., Holcomb instructed police commanders to wait because the mayor was en route.
By 10:22 p.m., SPD Chief Operations Officer Sarah Smith told colleagues briefings were delayed while they waited for Wilson to arrive.
Minutes later, Smith added that the event was stalled further as officials waited for Governor Bob Ferguson to join.
These messages corroborated on-scene statements from Detective Brian Pritchard to reporters that the news conference was held up to accommodate dignitaries, though elected officials later denied seeking any intentional delays.
Joined by Governor Ferguson, U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, and Mayor Wilson, Davis eventually briefed reporters on the casualties and ongoing investigation.
Officials did not publicly confirm that the shooting was gang-related until two days later.
The aftermath brought heavy political fallout, with Barnes being asked to resign by Wilson four days after the shooting.
Wilson has faced sharp criticism over her administration's response and handling of public safety as a whole.
Polls have showed Wilson's approval rating dropping with public safety as a major concern, and the mayor also faced a recall petition that cited public safety concerns, which was ultimately withdrawn.
Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle has scheduled a Public Safety Committee briefing for Sept. 22 to question Pritchard, Davis, and other key department leaders regarding the night's chain of events.
