Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and her team’s disastrous texts have revealed the internal infighting between her staff and other government agencies after a mass shooting.
The Democratic Socialist, 44, and her staff spiraled in the hours after three people died at the Seattle Center in July, messages obtained by KIRO 7 showed.
Wilson, who is facing calls from locals for her to be fired, and her team discussed their delayed response, her worry about what the media would say, and how they bumbled critical information to the public, the texts revealed.
One staffer claimed the aftermath was a ‘massive f**king disaster’ that took a ‘hit to public trust’ as residents shook their head on how the mayor handled it.
Meanwhile, the texts allegedly suggested that Wilson was more worried about being negatively perceived by the press than about focusing on carrying her devastated city through the tough time while suspects were still on the loose.
‘Matt says that KOMO is broadcasting that I and city council are expected to be there,’ she allegedly wrote.
‘We should consider whether I should come down to talk to KOMO, if that expectation has been created,’ Wilson allegedly said. ‘I’m sure they would love to spin an “absent mayor” story.’
Staffers also went back and forth on the timing of Wilson’s statement, debating whether or not they should wait for the police department to update residents first, according to the texts.
‘It’s f**king embarrassing that SPD [Seattle Police Department] has waited HOURS to put anything out,’ then-Interim Press Secretary Jonah Spangenthal-Lee wrote in a group chat.
Text messages between Mayor Katie Wilson’s administration allegedly showed how getting information to the public after a shooting was disastrously delay
Three people died after a shooting broke out at the Seattle Center in July. It took hours for authorities, including Wilson, to address it
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,’ Public Safety Advisor Alison Holcomb texted.
‘The mayor’s statement is general and focused on family and community impacts.’
Wilson’s statement at the time incorrectly said there were two suspects in custody, when there was only one.
She was the first person among Seattle’s leadership to release a statement.
Deputy Mayor Brian Surratt caught the mistake, telling staff to ‘please revise.’
Schellenberg and Spangenthal-Lee later discussed the mistake, the latter replied: ‘S**t happens… I’m not really worried about it.’
Her team also discussed in the texts how safe it would be for Wilson to attend the press conference. Initially, she was advised not to go as the suspects were still not in custody.
Wilson did attend the massively delayed press conference around 11pm, but not before her office put out erroneous information about the number of suspects.
After releasing false information, Wilson’s Interim Communications Director Dawn Schellenberg and then-Interim Press Secretary Jonah Spangenthal-Lee (pictured) discussed the mistake, the latter replied: ‘S**t happens… I’m not really worried about it’
Deputy Mayor Brian Surratt was the one to notice the mistake, telling staffers to ‘please revise’
After learning about the shooting, Wilson seemed more concerned about how the media would portray her, rather than the tragedy at hand. ‘I’m sure they would love to spin an “absent mayor” story,’ she texted
The mayor’s office was told more than three hours before leaders addressed the public that the Seattle Center had been ‘contained.’
Governor Bob Ferguson and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal also arrived at the press conference before Wilson, internal data showed, the outlet reported. The press had been told the hold was due to waiting for ‘dignitaries’ to arrive.
Wilson found out about the shooting almost immediately after it occurred around 6pm on July 27.
Only one suspect has been detained, but police told KIRO 7 that they were ‘closing in’ on two more.
Two weapons were also recovered from the scene, leading authorities to believe the two suspects were shooting at each other.
The unearthed text messages come after locals filed paperwork to have Wilson fired as mayor last month.
Local couple Melinda Jacobson and Dale Osterud filed a recall charge, blasting her for being ‘derelict in her duties for public safety of the city of Seattle.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
