Live updates: 3 dead in Seattle Center shooting; 1 suspect in custody as police search for another
Seattle and Washington state officials on Monday defended themselves amid criticism over delays in addressing the public with information about Sunday’s shooting at the Seattle Center.
A press conference was promised at 9:45 p.m. Sunday, nearly four hours after reports of the shooting had first emerged. But that press conference was delayed for another hour.
Seattle Police spokesperson Brian Pritchard told KUOW and other members of the press at about 10:33 p.m. Sunday that the delay was because officials were “waiting for dignitaries.” When officials did address the public at 10:48 p.m., Gov. Bob Ferguson and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal were in attendance alongside Mayor Katie Wilson and Acting Police Chief Tyrone Davis.
During a press conference Monday, Wilson denied the press conference delay was because they were waiting for Ferguson, Jayapal, or any other officials.
“That is absolutely not the case,” Wilson said in response to a direct question about the scene of an active investigation where SPD was searching the grounds for a possible second suspect. There are times when elected officials’ presence is not helpful, and that was one of those times. We don’t want our law enforcement distracted taking care of elected officials when they have work to do.”
Ferguson’s office also denied he was the reason for the delay.
A spokesperson for the governor said he was in Olympia when he received word of the shooting at about 7 p.m., then he immediately drove to Seattle. He was within 10 minutes of Seattle Center by 9 p.m., and at 10:10 p.m., he was told there would be media availability at the center. According to the spokesperson, he immediately left for the center and arrived around 10:30.
Jayapal’s office shared a similar timeline, noting the congresswoman was briefed at home over Zoom at 8 and 9 p.m. before she was also notified about a press conference at 10:10. She went to the center from her home in Seattle.
A statement from Wilson’s office was also quietly corrected. Her office initially said two suspects were in custody, but that was corrected to say that just one person had been taken in.
Asked about the discrepancy Monday, Wilson said, “In complex situations like this, information flies around. And so, that initial report that we got of two suspects in custody was incorrect, and that’s part of why it’s taken us a while to be able to stand here and say, ‘This is accurate information.’”
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes on Monday also defended himself when a reporter asked about his whereabouts during the shooting. Barnes was out of town Sunday at the time of the shooting but returned to Seattle after he got word of the shooting.
“ I wish that I had a crystal ball and, and we could schedule gun violence, but we can’t,” Barnes said during the press conference. “Yesterday, I was in Dallas at the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives conference. It’s their 50th anniversary. At that conference, two members from our community were being honored.”
When pressed by South Seattle Emerald reporter Connor Nash later, Barnes was visibly frustrated.
“I have been here working as hard as I can for this city from the day I got here. Do you got that?” Barnes told Nash.
Nash continued to ask about “reports that [Barnes is] not in town often.”
“The reports are wrong. Do you understand?” Barnes said as another man tried to usher him away from reporters and others who were filming. “Do you understand?”
