(The Center Square) – There’s going to be a change at the top of the investigation in Madison’s deadly school shooting.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes on Friday announced he is leaving to become the chief in Seattle.
“Earlier this week, under tragic circumstances, the nation received its introduction to Chief Shon Barnes,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement. “We all saw first-hand what our team has known since we began this recruitment process – that Chief Barnes possesses the impressive leadership capabilities, compassionate approach and dedication to effective police work needed to continue moving our Police Department forward.”
Barnes has become the face of the investigation into the Abundant Life Christian School shooting.
A Madison police spokesperson said that will not change.
“His sole focus this week is on supporting the families of ALCS and [he] will not be saying anything further about Seattle at this time,” the department said in a statement.
Barnes has been Madison’s police chief since 2021, but he’s been mentioned for other jobs almost since the beginning.
Barnes was a finalist to be the new chief in Chicago in 2023 and was a finalist for the chief’s job in San Jose, California in October of this year.
Seattle says Barnes has been talking about the job there for the past several weeks.
Harrell’s office said on Friday that the mayor had spoken with Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, but the mayors didn’t elaborate on what that conversation entailed.
Barnes has said he’ll speak about the job change at a later date.
Madison Police continue to investigate Monday’s shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School that left a teacher and a student dead. Six others were shot and wounded. Police say the gunman, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, also shot and killed herself before police could arrive at the school.
Barnes on Thursday said he believes the two guns that Rupnow had on her during the shooting were legally purchased, though he’s not saying how she came to have them.
Investigators are also looking into Rupnow’s social media accounts, and they are investigating the connection between Rupnoiw and a California man accused of plotting an attack on a federal building in California at the same time Rupnow was going to attack her school in Madison.
