Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s office has released dozens of texts and direct messages from the evening of July 26, when a shooting at Seattle Center cascaded into a series of events that ended in then-Police Chief Shon Barnes’ resignation days later.
Many of the texts, which were released Friday afternoon, appear to show Wilson’s team discussing whether it was safe to get the mayor to the scene so she could address the public alongside police. Hours ticked by, and the team continued to debate.
In the weeks since, city officials have faced backlash for not providing much information until a press conference roughly five hours after the shooting. Wilson earlier this week said she had fixed communications issues and set expectations between her office and the Seattle Police Department…