SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson issued an apology Thursday afternoon for how public communication was handled in the hours after a mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival earlier this week.
Wilson cites a miscommunication between her office and Seattle police that resulted in an hours-long delay in basic information about the shooting being released, including whether the Seattle Center campus was secure, a suspect being detained, and initial confirmation the shooting was not a targeted attack on the festival.
“Information could and should have gone out much faster,” Wilson said in a taped statement posted to her social media accounts.
The first and only press conference of the night was at 11 p.m, a full five hours after the shooting.
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“What I did not fully understand at that moment was how little information had reached the public or the press since the incident began at 6 p.m.,” Wilson said. “Had I known that, I would have pushed for an immediate briefing rather than wait for a press conference to be organized.”
Wilson’s office put out a statement on her office blog around 8:30 p.m. that incorrectly stated two suspects had been detained. It was later updated to reflect one suspect was in custody.
In the days since, officials confirmed the Mayor, Gov. Bob Ferguson, and other city leaders had received virtual briefings about the shooting at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., hours before they addressed the press at the scene.
At 10:30 p.m., a police spokesperson advised the press that the media briefing was being delayed again so “dignitaries” could be present. Ferguson’s office said they had no involvement in what the city was communicating to the public.
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“In any tragedy like this, it is expected that elected officials will communicate with the public at the appropriate time about their coordinated efforts, express condolences, and thank responders,” a statement from the governor’s office said.
Ferguson’s released text messages show the Governor was in contact with Mayor Wilson by 7:41 p.m., and had offered to be at the campus by 9 p.m.
“In the course of that conversation, city officials, including the police department, emphasized again that the Seattle Center was an active scene, and that elected officials should not go to the Seattle Center,” the statement said. “At that point, it was agreed that the elected officials would hold their event the next morning. At approximately 10:10 p.m., the Governor received word that the mayor would be holding a media availability at the Seattle Center and was on her way. The governor immediately proceeded to the Seattle Center. He arrived at approximately 10:30 p.m. The press event began at 11 p.m.”
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In her video on Thursday, Wilson acknowledged the public backlash against Ferguson and Jayapal, who were initially blamed for delaying public updates.
“The frustration that was directed at elected officials arriving that evening was understandable, and it was frustration that had been building for hours,” Wilson said. “We are now putting in place processes and protocols to ensure this does not happen again.”
