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Voicemail released in Bite of Seattle shooting response
Three months after the deadly Bite of Seattle shooting, a newly obtained voicemail reveals the mayor's office asked police to delay a press briefing.
SEATTLE - A newly released voicemail obtained through a public records request reveals the Seattle mayor’s office asked police to hold off on a scheduled media briefing following the "Bite of Seattle" shooting.
The disclosure comes three months after the incident, as the investigation remains open with no new suspect information released to the public.
Audio reveals direct request to police
Dig deeper:
In the audio recording left on the phone of Seattle Police Department spokesperson Detective Brian Pritchard, the mayor’s public safety director, Alison Holcomb, requested an availability be postponed so Mayor Katie Wilson could attend.
"I wanted to call you and let you know the mayor is on her way with her EPU," Holcomb said in the voicemail. "So, if you could please hold on the 9:45 availability until the mayor is able to join you, that would be great."
The voicemail provides confirmation of direct coordination from the mayor's team to pause public updates that evening.
Seattle Police face questions regarding the Bite of Seattle shooting response by Seattle City Council on Sept. 22, 2026. (FOX 13 Seattle)
City Council scrutinizes five-hour delay
The other side:
The timeline of emergency communications drew sharp criticism during an August City Council committee meeting, where members questioned Holcomb about why the public waited nearly five hours for critical information following the shooting.
During the hearing, Councilmember Dan Strauss pressed Holcomb on whether anyone from the executive branch sought to intervene.
"Did the Mayor's Office or designee of the mayor ask to pause, delay, not hold a press conference, at all? At any time that evening?" Strauss asked.
"No. I can't answer that question, honestly," Holcomb replied.
Seattle City Hall (FOX 13 Seattle)
Conflicting accounts of nighttime communication
What they're saying:
Police officials informed councilmembers in September that the deputy mayor blocked briefings from taking place before 8 p.m., an allegation Wilson denied.
Wilson has previously accepted responsibility for late-night communication delays and ordered an independent review examining the city's overall response to the shooting.
The mayor is scheduled to host a media availability on Tuesday where FOX 13 News plans to ask about the 'Bite of Seattle' response, pending review by the Office of Inspector General, and the audit of the city's CCTV cameras.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Dan Griffin.