SEATTLE — Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes canceled a planned interview with KOMO News on Wednesday, about 30 minutes before he was scheduled to answer questions about the deadly Seattle Center shooting and the amount of time he has spent outside the city.
Barnes had agreed Wednesday morning to discuss the department’s response to Sunday’s shooting, the communication failures that followed and his travel schedule. Instead of the interview, his office provided portions of his calendar documenting his movements from late March through the end of July.
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The records appear to show Barnes was out of the office and outside the Seattle area nearly a dozen times during those four months, including seven work-related conferences and four trips to Chicago, where Barnes has family.
The chief was attending a conference in Dallas on Sunday when gunfire erupted at Seattle Center, killing three people and injuring several others.
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Questions about Barnes’ whereabouts have lingered since he acknowledged he was not in Seattle when the shooting occurred.
The shooting was followed by hours of limited public information and criticism over the city’s failure to send an emergency text alert to people at Seattle Center.
At a Tuesday news conference, Barnes strongly rejected suggestions that he frequently travels or is routinely absent from the city.
“I don’t travel as often as I would like to,” Barnes said. “I think any reports that I’m gone every weekend are grossly misstated.”
Barnes also defended his commitment to the department, saying his passion can be “in full display, especially if someone is questioning my work ethic or my integrity.”
An image of Shon Barnes on July 28, 2026, during a press conference in Seattle. (KOMO)
According to the calendar provided by the chief’s office, Barnes traveled to conferences in Detroit, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Dallas and at least one additional location. Those trips were separate from four visits to Chicago.
The schedule also includes blocked-off time this week for a dental procedure and a medical appointment.
By KOMO News’ count, the travel and other absences reflected in the documents amount to close to 50 days when Barnes was not working from his Seattle office. Some of those dates included weekends or travel days, and the records provided do not necessarily indicate whether Barnes was conducting department business remotely.
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The calendar appears to designate an acting police chief during each absence. Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis was listed as acting chief Sunday and led the department’s first formal news briefing approximately five hours after the shooting.
The records also show Barnes remained in Seattle throughout the city’s World Cup matches and is scheduled to be in the city during this week’s Seafair events. The calendar, however, does not fully explain the purpose or necessity of each trip, why Barnes attended seven conferences within several months or how he balances that travel with leading Washington state’s largest municipal police department.
KOMO News also identified apparent discrepancies involving dates Barnes traveled to and from Chicago and asked the department to clarify them. Those questions remained unresolved Wednesday afternoon.
Barnes’ office said he personally pays for private travel to Chicago. The department pays for conference-related travel, although officials said conference organizers sometimes cover a portion of those expenses. It was not clear why the department did not provide his records before the end of March.
KOMO News planned to ask Barnes directly about the travel, the calendar discrepancies, his decision to attend the Dallas conference and whether his absence affected the city’s response to Sunday’s shooting. Those questions went unanswered after the chief canceled the interview shortly before it was set to begin.