A voicemail reopens the question of who delayed the Bite of Seattle briefing. Here's what the Council has heard so far

Three months after the July 26 mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle, a public records request has produced new evidence in the dispute over why the public waited about five hours for an official briefing.

FOX 13 reported Monday that it obtained a voicemail Mayor Katie Wilson's public safety director, Alison Holcomb, left for a police spokesperson that night. In it, Holcomb asked that the 9:45 briefing be held so the mayor could attend, and said, "the mayor is on her way," according to FOX 13. The station also reported that at an August Council committee meeting, Councilmember Dan Strauss asked Holcomb whether the mayor's office had sought to pause or delay a press conference, and she answered, "No. I can't answer that question, honestly."

Why it matters: in a shooting that killed three people and wounded four at Seattle Center, the timing of public information affects people looking for family members and nearby residents deciding whether they are safe. How the mayor's office and the police coordinate in the next emergency is still being worked out.

The accounts so far

• Police: SPD Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis told the Council that officers were ready to brief the public about 90 minutes after the shooting but were told to wait for the mayor, FOX 13 reported on Oct. 5. He said what was released at 11 p.m. matched what officers were ready to share around 7:30 p.m.
• The mayor: Wilson has denied that Deputy Mayor Brian Surratt delayed the briefing. "My deputy mayor did not do that," she said, according to FOX 13. She has said she accepts responsibility for late-night communication delays, FOX 13 reported.
• The review: In August Wilson asked the Office of Inspector General for Public Safety to do an after-action review of public communications that night. Inspector General Lisa Judge expected initial findings this fall, presented to the mayor's office and the Council's Public Safety Committee, with a final report on the office's website by mid-December, FOX 13 reported.

FOX 13 said Wilson had a media availability scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27.

What our records add: the Council's two hearings

The Council's Public Safety Committee, chaired by Robert Kettle (District 7, which includes Seattle Center), has taken up the shooting twice:

• Aug. 11: Bite of Seattle Security Response Quick Look, at the committee meeting. Interim Chief Andre Sayles was scheduled to brief the committee, FOX 13 reported.
• Sept. 22: Review of the Bite of Seattle Incident and Response, at the committee meeting. The file includes SPD's after-action report.

That after-action report gives the department's timeline:

• Shots were fired about 6 p.m., roughly 100 feet from an SPD office, and officers had one shooter in custody within 20 to 30 seconds.
• An internal SPD briefing with then-Chief Shon Barnes was held at 8:30 p.m. Barnes briefed elected officials over Teams at 9 p.m.
• The first press conference was at 11 p.m., about five hours after the shooting.

The report lists, as a finding, that the public briefing followed two internal briefings rather than coming first, "a 5-hour public information gap." It also says the arrival of senior and elected officials distracted sworn staff from releasing timely public safety information. Its recommendations include separating the acting chief's tactical role from liaison duties with the mayor's office, and naming an on-scene spokesperson in advance with standing authority to put out public safety alerts.

The report lists Wilson, Surratt and Kettle among officials on scene at various points.

What's next

• The Inspector General's final report is expected by mid-December, according to FOX 13. Initial findings were to go to the Public Safety Committee this fall; none appear on the committee's agendas so far.
• KING 5 reported that the review will look at the timeline, the causes of any delays and ways to improve coordination.
• The shooting investigation remains open, FOX 13 reported.