Interim Police Chief Andre Sayles addresses reporters at his first press conference since being asked to lead the Seattle Police Department on July 31, 2026. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson stood behind him.
Megan Farmer / KUOW
Andre Sayles, Seattle’s new interim police chief, said Friday that his department is close to finding another suspect in the mass shooting at Bite of Seattle Sunday night.
A 15-year-old suspect is currently in custody.
Sayles, appearing with Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson at Friday’s media briefing, promised he would unite the Seattle Police Department after his predecessor resigned days after the shooting.
Wilson said now-former Chief Shon Barnes’ resignation was a mutual decision between the two of them on Thursday. Together, Wilson and Sayles tried to assure the city that the investigation into the shooting was a top priority despite the sudden change in leadership at SPD. The shooting left three dead and five injured.
Related: Seattle Police Chief Barnes has resigned; mayor makes it official after hours of silence
Officials have been saying there is no immediate danger to members of the public related to Sunday’s shooting, in part because investigators believe it was targeted, gang-related violence.
However, Sayles had a slightly different take on Friday.
“Whenever there’s gun violence, there is danger to the public,” he said. “It would be reckless of me to say that it’s not. … But we know that this situation was amongst two factions of people, and we’re continuing to look for those individuals involved in [the shooting].”
Asked for an update on other suspects in the shooting Sunday, Sayles said SPD detectives are close to identifying at least one more suspect, but they are working to ensure they are “the correct person” rather than someone who “may have just been running to save their lives.” Sayles said investigators are still searching for multiple people.
“It is paramount that we get the correct person,” Sayles said. “I do not want our police department to be put in a bad situation where we’re arresting the wrong person. I wish I could give you that information right now, but for the integrity of that investigation, we want to keep that close to the vest right now and make sure our detectives have the best angle to take that person into custody.”
In the meantime, Sayles promised increased police staffing at upcoming events, including this weekend.
Katie Campbell is a reporter with KUOW. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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