Woke war engulfs Seattle's socialist mayor as racial equality groups condemn her for firing black police chief over mass-shooting response fiasco

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:23, 30 July 2026 | Updated: 21:28, 30 July 2026 Seattle's socialist mayor Katie Wilson is facing backlash from racial justice groups after she fired the city's black police chief amid scrutiny into his response to a mass shooting.  Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes, 55, was dismissed by Wilson on Wednesday evening following outrage over his handling of the shooting at a local food festival which left three people dead. Barnes faced criticism for being at a conference in Texas when the horror unfolded. Critics also alleged that he has spent much of his tenure with his family in Chicago instead of in Seattle, per KOMO News.  The police chief was then caught berating a reporter for questioning his whereabouts, despite fury over his department issuing several statements with factual errors in the aftermath of the shooting.  With Wilson also facing scrutiny on her handling of the tragedy, the mayor chose to fire Barnes on Wednesday evening, shortly after the pair both attended a silent vigil for the victims.  On Thursday, Wilson's decision ignited fury and led to a rally at city hall organized by several groups in Seattle, including the NAACP, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Byrd Barr Place and Community Passageways.  Bishop Reggie Witherspoon said at the rally that Barnes's replacement must be another person of color, and declared: 'I know the slave master is alive in a lot of people's minds, but there are a lot of us that know better.' Another speaker at the rally said: 'I have asked her, what is her problem with blacks?' Seattle police chief Shon Barnes has been fired amid scrutiny on his response to a tragic shooting in the city last week Barnes was dismissed by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson on Wednesday, shortly after they both attended a vigil for the victims of a mass shooting days prior (pictured)  The groups said they stood by Barnes, and that his firing led to concerns 'over representation, leadership stability, and community-oriented policing efforts.'  In an online poll issued by Seattle's KOMO News on Thursday, 68 percent of responders said it is Wilson who should be held most accountable for the bungled response to the shooting, compared to just 23 percent for Barnes.  Scrutiny on Barnes erupted following reports that he was not in Seattle to organize his officers in the wake of the tragedy. He was in Texas attending the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Conference.  In the hours after the shooting, his department failed to promptly warn residents that a second armed suspect was still at large, and the first press conference was reportedly delayed by over five hours.  The city also reportedly failed to activate AlertSeattle, an official emergency notification system, in the hours after the shooting.  Sources told Fox13 that when Wilson called Barnes for a meeting on Wednesday, she asked him to resign, but then moved to dismiss him when he refused. A rally was held Thursday to protest Barnes's firing, with footage shared by independent journalist Jonathan Choe showing groups gathered in city hall to vent their anger at the mayor. Following the rally, Seattle’s largest business group, the Downtown Seattle Association, also issued a statement condemning Wilson.  Black rights leaders including Bishop Reggie Witherspoon have criticized Wilson for dismissing Barnes and suggested the firing has a racial undertone  Seattle mayor Katie Wilson dismissed Barnes on Wednesday evening, amid scrutiny on both of their handling of a deadly shooting at a food festival in the city  Barnes squared up to a reporter when he was questioned about not being in Seattle to handle the shooting on Sunday evening  'We are disappointed by Mayor Wilson's decision to remove Chief Sean Barnes from his position as Seattle's police chief,' the group said.  The group said it has 'valued' Barnes's leadership, and praised him for bringing 'a collaborative approach to public safety' and working with locals 'to address some of downtown's and Seattle's most pressing challenges.'  'Seattle has been moving in the right direction,' the group said, adding: 'The steps forward we have made should not be taken for granted. Or worse, lost.'  Authorities believe Sunday's shooting was the result of several gang members firing at each other, and named one of the deceased, Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19, as one of the shooters.  Bystanders Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, and Ashley Whitehead, 56, were also identified as those killed in the shooting, with at least four other people injured. Police also arrested a 15-year-old in connection with the shooting, and at least one other suspect is being sought by investigators.  At the first press conference following the shooting, Barnes refused to refer to the shooters as 'gangs', and instead referred to 'small groups that appear to be at odds with each other.' Barnes was then filmed in a hostile confrontation with a reporter who questioned why he was not in Seattle, as he squared up to the journalist and insisted he had been 'working as hard as I can for this city.'  Authorities believe the shooting was perpetrated by at least three young people at the food festival, with one of the deceased, a 19-year-old, believed to be one of the gunmen  'I wish that I had a crystal ball and we could schedule gun violence, but we can’t,' he said.  Barnes conceded that the shooting was likely gang-related, said he was frustrated that 'in our city, 0.01 percent of the population is connected to 52 percent of our shootings, most of which are young people.' When South Seattle Emerald reporter Connor Nash followed up on his absence, the police chief erupted, a video posted on X by Choe showed. 'Let me tell you something. I don’t have to tell you where I go. I had a medical procedure on Friday,' he fumed. 'I have been here working as hard as I can for this city, from the day I got here. You got that?' Nash then responded: 'But there are reports that you're not in town often,' to which the chief said: 'The reports are wrong, do you understand?' As the reporter attempted a follow-up, a staff member intervened, repeatedly urging Barnes, 'Let's go,' as he ushered the chief away. The Daily Mail has reached out to Barnes and Wilson for comment. The Seattle Police Department referred all inquiries to the Mayor's office.