Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson redirected a question about her recently released texts where she accused a local news outlet of trying to ‘spin her as an absent mayor’ during a deadly July shooting. 

The mayor’s office released hundreds of messages between city officials in the aftermath of the shooting on Friday, following months of questions over delays between when the horror unfolded and when her administration addressed the public. 

Shots rang out at the Bite of Seattle food festival on July 26, leaving three people dead. The public waited for hours after the shooting for more information from officials. 

One exchange between Wilson and her staff revealed discussions over whether she should go to the scene.

‘Matt says that KOMO is broadcasting that I and city council are expected to be there,’ she wrote in one of the messages. 

‘We should consider whether I should come down to talk to KOMO, if that expectation has been created. I’m sure they would love to spin an “absent mayor” story.’

When asked about the messages at a speaking event for striking hotel workers on Monday, Wilson simply stated: ‘There’s been write-ups of them, and we’re really focused on moving forward.’

‘So last week, Interim Chief Sayles and I announced our new communications protocols moving forward to make sure that we’re able to keep the public updated if a serious incident takes place,’ she added, local CBS affiliate KIRO reported. 

Text messages between Mayor Katie Wilson’s administration in the aftermath of July’s deadly shooting have been released

Three people died after a shooting broke out at the Seattle Center in July. It took hours for authorities, including Wilson, to address it 

After learning about the shooting, Wilson seemed concerned about how the media would portray her. ‘I’m sure they would love to spin an “absent mayor” story,’ she texted 

The mayor’s administration faced criticism after the shooting for breakdowns in communication with the Seattle Police Department [SPD] and a five-hour delay before the first press conference. 

The newly released messages revealed Wilson’s team weighing whether to send her to the scene for a media briefing or if it was a safety concern to do so.  

Deputy Mayor Brian Surratt said in a group message that he was almost to the Seattle Center where the shooting took place, adding: ‘I think Mayor should start making her way here as well.’ 

However, Public Safety Advisor Alison Holcomb countered that the scene likely wasn’t stable because of the active investigation.  

Then-Interim Press Secretary Jonah Spangenthal-Lee wrote back a few hours later: ‘I reaaaaaaally think the mayor should go down there.’

‘I really don’t like elected politicians showing up to trauma and drawing attention to themselves,’ Holcomb later wrote. 

Staffers also went back and forth on the timing of the mayor’s statement, debating whether or not they should wait for the police department to update residents first, according to the texts.

‘It’s f****** embarrassing that SPD has waited HOURS to put anything out,’ Spangenthal-Lee wrote in a group chat.

Deputy Mayor Brian Surratt noticed that a mistake in the mayor’s initial statement about the shooting, telling staffers to ‘please revise’

After releasing false information, Wilson’s Interim Communications Director Dawn Schellenberg and then-Interim Press Secretary Jonah Spangenthal-Lee (pictured) discussed the mistake, and the latter replied: ‘S*** happens… I’m not really worried about it’ 

The mayor’s office received criticism for waiting five hours after the shooting to address the press. Wilson is pictured taking questions at a press conference on July 31 

Interim Communications Director for the Mayor’s Office, Dawn Schellenberg, replied: ‘Well, we’re not!’

‘It’s good for her to take the lead in acknowledging those impacts and letting everyone know we’ll share more as we learn it,’ Holcomb texted.

‘The mayor’s statement is general and focused on family and community impacts.’

Wilson’s statement, when it arrived, also contained inaccurate information. It claimed that two suspects were in custody, when there was only one. 

Surratt caught the mistake and told staff to ‘please revise.’

Schellenberg and Spangenthal-Lee later discussed the mistake, the latter replied: ‘S*** happens… I’m not really worried about it.’

A few days after the shooting, Wilson released a video message praising the responding police officers and acknowledging that communications with her team, the media and the public had ‘gaps.’ 

Former Police Chief Shon Barnes (far left) was forced to resign after the shooting. He is pictured above at a vigil for the victims with Wilson 

‘Information could and should have gone out much faster through social media, the SPD blotter and/or an offsite press conference,’ Wilson said. 

She added that the public ‘should have heard sooner’ about outstanding suspects and the status of the crime scene, promising that her office would continue to work with the police department to improve communications. 

Four days after the shooting, former police chief Shon Barnes resigned. In a recent radio show interview, Barnes defended his handling of the shooting and denied that he had any understanding of the media briefing delays. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.