By Hannah Saunders
Three people have lost their lives to the Bite of Seattle shooting on July 26, and the recent Seattle media circus with the resignation of Police Chief Barnes has put those whose lives are forever changed on the back-burner. The shooting hit international headlines, and Mayor Katie Wilson and other elected officials are facing scrutiny over the response, where press and community members had waited five hours for an update.
Erica Barnett, editor and publisher of Publicola, broke news at 8:31 p.m. on July 29, alerting her Bluesky followers that Barnes had allegedly been fired. He attended the city’s scheduled silent vigil at the Seattle Center that evening, and abruptly cancelled a one-on-one interview with local media. After silence for the first half of July 30, Mayor Wilson issued a public statement.
“Chief Barnes has served this department and this city with dedication, and I am grateful for his service,” Mayor Wilson said. “The courage and professionalism that the officers of the Seattle Police Department showed deserves to be honored. I share Chief Barnes’ hope that we can return our focus to addressing youth gun violence and ensuring that every family can feel safe in their neighborhood and across the city.”
The response to the shooting, which police state is gang-related and involved several teens, consisted of a five-hour silence period from officials; an SPD officer told reporters that they were waiting on “dignitaries,” before providing an update. At the same time, Bite of Seattle did not provide any alerts or updates to the public until over 24 hours after the shooting, when it issued a generic PR statement. Mayor Wilson, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal later arrived for the press conference that began at nearly 11 p.m.
“It has been an honor to serve the Seattle Police Department and this city,” Barnes said in a statement. “The members of this department show up every single day with professionalism and dedication, and what they did in the aftermath of the Bite of Seattle tragedy reflects the very best of who they are. I am proud of them, and I have deep faith in the future of this department and in the vision for community-based policing that is taking root here.
“Seattle is committed to building a department that is truly connected to the communities it serves. I am proud of the work we have done, believe in the direction the city is headed, and have full confidence that the department will achieve success in tackling its most urgent public safety challenge, addressing youth gun violence and preventing more tragedies. That work is too important, and Seattle deserves nothing less.”
Barnes has faced backlash this week from the media for reportedly living in Chicago over the weekends, meaning he was not present for the tragic shooting that killed Ashley Whitehead, Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, and Junior Cee Niko Semo, and injured four others, including a two-year-old toddler. As more chatter of his possible firing circulated, The Seattle Medium published an ‘Open Letter to Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson From the Black Community,’ which is not a monolith, and urged her to hold onto Barnes as Police Chief.
“This is the wrong decision at the wrong time and would disrupt Seattle’s progress in public safety. The tragic fatal shooting at the Bite of Seattle was heartbreaking for our city, but Chief Barnes should not be made a scapegoat for the complex challenges of public safety. One incident should not erase a record of work, progress, and leadership,” according to the letter.
The letter highlighted Seattle’s recent success in managing massive international events, like it being a host city for the FIFA World Cup. It cited Barnes’ efforts, like reducing homicides and gun violence, building stronger community relationships, and strengthening accountability, among others.
“Black leadership matters. Chief Barnes should be evaluated by facts, integrity, and outcomes not politics or headlines. We ask you to support Chief Barnes and keep Seattle moving forward,” according to the letter.
The letter writers said Mayor Wilson should not use Barnes as a scapegoat, and held a gathering on July 30 at 8 a.m. The Seattle Community Police Commission also issued a statement, and said it reached out to Mayor Wilson’s office but received no response.
“Making a public safety decision of this magnitude without the consultation- or even a courtesy notification- to the City’s own police accountability partner charged with uplifting the voice of communities most impacted by policing is disheartening. Making a decision without including those community members themselves is unconscionable. It highlights a lack of engagement and responsiveness to the community at a time that Seattle should be listening, collaborating, and coming together,” the Commission stated.
Remembering those lost, supporting those still here
When the shooting happened, most information the community had to rely on was from first-hand accounts from Bite of Seattle attendees and vendors on social media. Viral footage showed groups of people, including families with strollers, sprinting for safety, with some losing shoes in the process. Whitehead, who is described as a lover of art, life, and family, was waiting in line for cotton candy with her daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law. She was shot, and survived long enough to exchange “I love you’s’” with her oldest daughter, Zoie, before passing away during surgery at Harborview Medical Center.
The mother of two recently moved from Alabama to the PNW to be closer to Zoie, and her youngest daughter, Celeste, is living in Virginia. A GoFundMe was launched to help Zoie lay her mother to rest and cover living expenses, as Whitehead contributed to the household.
“I do not have many words at this time. I’m struggling each day with deep pain and a feeling that maybe I will wake up to find it was all a nightmare. I lost my mother and best friend on Sunday. My heart was broken into 1 million pieces,” Zoie said. “She is an amazing mother. She was kind and loving to every human she met.
“She was a single mother, a cancer survivor, and a woman who would never give up. She could find the bright side in any situation. She was always willing to sacrifice for people. She was nurturing and always a safe place. Mom was goofy, outgoing, and the best friend you could ever ask for. Thank you so much. There are so many things I want the world to know about my mom but I’m just so lost right now.”
Villalba has tragically left behind three children and a wife, who are now facing financial strain, as he was the primary provider of the family.
“His kindness and generosity touched countless lives, and everyone who knew him remembers his gentle spirit and willingness to help others,” according to the family’s GoFundMe.
Not much information has been made public about Semo, who was accused of firing his gun at the Seattle Center, although he was only 19-years-old.
Community Passageways has been working with the City to conduct outreach to impacted families and provide support and services during this time, according to Mayor Wilson. And several city-run social media accounts have posted mental health resources for those who attended the food festival that day.
As community members mourn and grieve, they are now facing major changes with city leadership, with interim Chief Andre Sayles now in place. Although Barnes was notoriously despised among several communities, including the LGBTQ+ (particularly for SPD’s recent violence), headlines of his departure have overshadowed the healing and resources that are needed.
Experiencing gun violence or a mass shooting event can lead to depression, anxiety, fear of being in public spaces or loud noises, and more. Gun violence is not new to Seattle, nor is the need for resources for at-risk youth— it just became highly visible due to the location and crowds at the Seattle Center.
If you or a loved one are struggling with the lasting impacts of the shooting, contact 988. Seattle youth ages 13-24 are encouraged to utilize free therapy sessions at Seattle.gov/youthmentalhealth.
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