SEATTLE — In a statement on Friday, Interim Police Chief Andre Sayles said he is delaying the release of messages sent between department staff on the night of the mass shooting at Bite of Seattle to “ensure investigative leads are not disclosed.”
Sayles said the public was owed the release of the “full scope of communications that night.” He did not include a timeline for when the public could see the department’s internal messages.
The news comes about a week after the mayor’s office released its internal messaging about the incident. The messages reveal internal debates over messaging, when leaders acknowledged that communications had broken down, and provide some insight into why it took over four hours for officials to address the public.
On July 26, three people died at the event held at Seattle Center, including one of the suspected shooters. Four others, including a 2-year-old boy, were hurt.
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