Seattle’s interim police chief is facing criticism over his choice of words after describing known gun-violence suspects as “trigger pullers” during a news conference following a violent Labor Day weekend that left three people dead and three others injured.
Interim Chief Andre Sayles used the term during a Sept. 7 briefing where he laid out the Seattle Police Department’s response to three separate shootings that occurred within a 24-hour span, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
“We’re looking at ways to where we can identify individuals that are known, we call trigger pullers, in our community,” Sayles said. “Identifying them, making sure that we’re putting cases on those individuals working with King County Prosecutor’s Office, to bring these individuals to justice, because the families that lost loved ones, throughout the year and years past, deserve justice.”
The phrasing prompted immediate pushback from local commentators. Radio host Ari Hoffman questioned the shift in terminology on social media, writing: “So in Seattle we aren’t calling them ‘shooters’ anymore? Now they are ‘trigger pullers’?”
The term itself has precedent in federal law enforcement circles. Then-FBI Director Christopher Wray used similar language in 2022 while addressing the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, referring to “a handful of well-known trigger pullers who keep finding their way back to the streets, no matter how many times they’re arrested.”
Three Shootings, No Arrests
Sayles said investigators do not believe the three weekend shootings were connected to each other, nor to the deadly July shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival.
The first incident happened early Sunday near Denny Way and Clay Street, where a fight following a street takeover turned violent, killing a 20-year-old man and injuring two others.
About an hour later, a gunman opened fire into a vehicle near Third Avenue and Blanchard Street, fatally wounding a 23-year-old woman.
A third confrontation before midnight near Elliott Avenue and Bell Street left a 17-year-old dead and a 21-year-old critically injured. Investigators have not identified a clear gang connection in that case.
As of Sayles’ remarks, no arrests had been made in any of the three shootings. He said detectives were working with witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage, including roughly 450 hours of video tied to one of the cases.
Staffing Questions Amid Street Takeovers
The shootings coincided with a series of street takeovers over the weekend, raising questions about whether police resources were stretched thin.
“That’s something I have to look at. I haven’t really dove into what the staffing numbers looked like,” Sayles said. “And if that was the case, then we will do what we need to do as a department to make sure that they are not overwhelmed.”
Sayles said the department’s intelligence unit is working to trace where the street takeovers are being organized and that officers would coordinate with regional, local and federal partners.
“We have officers in these dedicated areas,” he said. “They’re a block or two away, and it’s one of those incidents where we respond to violence on a daily basis. It’s not like we can be there and stop it, but our goal is to be there and stop it.”
Sayles outlined a broader response that includes increased patrols, coordination with local business owners, and deployment of the department’s community response group and gun violence reduction unit.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson addressed the violence during a public appearance, offering condolences to the victims’ families. “This weekend, we’ve seen three people die, which is incredibly tragic, and my heart goes out to the victims and their families,” she said.
Police are asking the public for tips, photos and video from the scenes that could help investigators make arrests. All three cases remain open.
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