A new set of messages shows Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) questioning Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s handling of the Bite of Seattle massacre response. The texts, shared Wednesday by the governor’s office, show Jayapal reaching out to Gov. Bob Ferguson for help getting answers.
Three people died and four more were injured in a shooting in July. Two of the dead were men, one aged 19 and the other 44, while a third was a 56-year-old woman. The attack took place outside the Seattle Center close to the Space Needle, around 6 p.m.
Jayapal’s Doubts
On July 26, Jayapal wrote to Ferguson, saying “Give me a ring I’m wondering if we should be there at all.”. She also added this: “I’m not confident she knows what she is doing.”.
Jayapal had earlier asked to be part of any of Wilson’s news conferences, writing: “I spoke to her. Suggested that if they are doing a public conference, it would be good if we are all there.” Ferguson “agreed.”. Ferguson now wanted Jayapal to contact Wilson directly rather than going through him for information.
The Delayed News Conference
A news conference was delayed for five hours before officials briefed the public. The 11 p.m. news conference was announced around 10:10 p.m. Both Ferguson and Jayapal learned about it then.
Jayapal messaged that she would arrive in 15 minutes. The governor’s office said Jayapal’s message was sent at 10:32 p.m., two minutes after Ferguson arrived.
Later reports suggested the holdup stemmed from the tardy arrivals of “dignitaries,” without any reference to the mayor’s office. Jayapal requested that Ferguson convey her worry about the rumor.
KING5 reports that Jayapal said Wilson informed her they were waiting for their arrival, and that any delay would be measured in minutes, not hours.
The Investigation’s Early Silence
At 6:29 p.m., Seattle Police posted a solitary update to X, which read: “Police are investigating a shooting. Multiple shooting victims. Shots fired at the Seattle Center. More information to come. Please avoid the area.”.
Last week, Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis informed the City Council that his department was prepared to share information with the public but needed to wait on Wilson.
“I’m not confident she knows what she is doing.”
Wilson’s office did not respond to Jayapal’s criticism. Officials said Wilson was focused on “strengthening public safety communications, reducing gun violence and proposing investments in public safety and well-being.”
What Jayapal Said Afterward
The senator did not back down from her remarks about Wilson following the shooting. Instead, she defended her stance to KING5, saying that her communications expressed genuine worries that the public had received no details before the press conference took place.
“What happened that day was tough. We were ready to go. I was gonna really walk down there and handle it. I did talk to the deputy mayor, just kind of let them know as a courtesy, we’re gonna go down and conduct the interview. And then I was told we needed to wait for the mayor,” Davis said, according to KOMO News.
The texts show Jayapal pushing back against Wilson’s handling of the response. She wanted to be part of the briefing process and questioned whether Wilson knew what she was doing. The governor’s office released the texts Wednesday, and the story has drawn attention to the tension between local leaders during a tragedy.
Source material: “Rep. Jayapal doubted Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s leadership over mass shooting response in texts with governor,” the New York Post.
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