Sometimes, a reporter becomes a part of a story, and somehow, today that reporter was me.
On July 26, something terrible happened in Seattle: There was a mass shooting during the famous Bite of Seattle event at Seattle Center. Three people — a 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man, and a 56-year-old woman — lost their lives, and five others, including a 2-year-old, were injured. Some of my friends had been there, and when I heard about the shooting, I was nervous about what had happened.
Were they okay? They were. But many people in Seattle were asking the same question about their loved ones.
At the Emerald, we cover events in South Seattle, and since the shooting happened downtown, I hadn’t planned to write about the tragic events. But the next morning around 10:30 a.m., I got a message from a fellow reporter that a press conference would be happening 30 minutes later.
I decided to go because another reporter, Erica C. Barnett, had posted that Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes was out of town during the incident and would not be returning until mid-August. I wanted to attend to ask city leaders about this reporting. I learned later that Barnes would be attending the press conference, and I wanted to ask him directly where he was and when he had originally planned to return.
At the press conference, Mayor Katie Wilson, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, and Barnes provided an update on the victims and the City’s immediate response to the aftermath of the shooting: a 15-year-old who was arrested and would be arraigned later. Another alleged shooter had not been apprehended. Hours after the press conference, the Seattle Times reported that one of the deceased was a shooting suspect.
When they opened the floor for the press to ask questions, others asked about public safety and the city government’s response to the incident. A fellow reporter did ask if Barnes was out of town. Barnes responded, “I was not in town yesterday. I wish that I had a crystal ball and we could schedule gun violence, but we can’t. [On Sunday, July 26,] I was in Dallas at the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives conference.”
The response did not acknowledge Barnett’s reporting that Barnes would be out of town until mid-August, and I wanted to follow up. But the press conference was soon over, and the government officials were leaving City Hall. Then Barnes spoke to two other reporters before he began to walk out of the room.
As he walked away, I called out a question: “Chief Barnes, was it accurate that you were going to be out of town until mid-August?”
Barnes replied, “That is not accurate.”
I then asked, “And when were you planning on coming back?”
Barnes then re-entered the room and approached me. He was about a foot away and appeared upset.
“Let me tell you something,” said Barnes. “I don’t have to tell you where I go. … I have been here working as hard as I can for this city from the day that I got here. Do you got that?”
A city employee attempted to escort Barnes out of the room, but Barnes told the official “no” multiple times. So, I asked a follow-up: “There are reports that you are not in town often.”
Barnes responded, “Those reports are wrong. Do you understand? Do you understand, so when we work —”
The city employee cut Barnes off and escorted him from the room.
I then realized several of my fellow reporters were recording the interaction. Some asked if I was okay; I replied yes, and I appreciated their solidarity. They then asked who I was and which outlet I worked for. Now, some of those videos have gone viral and have been reported in the international press.
But this is not what I was looking for. I wanted to ask Barnes a pertinent question about whether he is present in Seattle as the Chief of Police. Although it is nice to be recognized for my reporting and to represent the Emerald, stories about the mass shooting should be focused on the victims, not this heated exchange.
Before I began working for the Emerald, I was active in Little Saigon, advocating for the city to address the systemic issues facing the neighborhood. I had met Barnes through that work and had a similar interaction with him then.
I reached out to SPD for comment on my interaction today with Barnes, but as we go to press, I haven’t heard back.
I hope that this interaction with Barnes does not negatively impact my reporting, because South Seattle residents deserve to hear from their government officials. And I plan to keep asking questions.
Connor Nash is a contributing news reporter covering local politics. Originally from Maryland, he has lived in Seattle since 2018, primarily in Little Saigon. Before becoming a reporter, he worked in state and federal government roles focused on consumer protection, public records, and economic data. He also ran for Seattle City Council in 2025.