Wisconsin
Wisconsin police chief overseeing school shooting probe named to Seattle job
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes was named as the chief of police in Seattle on Friday, five days after he was thrust into the national spotlight because of a shooting at a religious school in Wisconsin that killed a teacher and student.
Barnes’ departure comes as Madison police are still in the early days of their investigation into what motivated 15-year-old Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow to open fire at Abundant Life Christian School, killing teacher Erin West and 14-year-old freshman Rubi Patricia Vergara and critically wounding two other students. Rupnow then killed herself, authorities said.
In a statement announcing the decision, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said Barnes has demonstrated “impressive leadership capabilities” during the school shooting investigation.
Barnes was known to be a finalist for the Seattle job before the shooting. He has served as the chief of police in Wisconsin’s capital city since 2021. He also was a finalist to become chief of police in Chicago in 2023 and San Jose, California, in October.
Barnes did not mention the shooting in the statement from Harrell’s office. “My family and I are excited about the opportunity to integrate into Seattle’s vibrant community, known for its diversity, innovation and resilience,” Barnes said.
The Seattle mayor’s office office said Barnes was chosen over two other finalists, an assistant police chief in Montgomery County, Maryland, and a deputy chief in Los Angeles.
Harrell, Seattle’s mayor, reassigned former police Chief Adrian Diaz in May over allegations that Diaz discriminated against women and people of color. Diaz was fired this week after an investigation found he had an intimate relationship with a former television news anchor before he hired her as his chief of staff.
Barnes had long been rumored to be looking to leave the job in Madison, which has a population of about 280,000. Seven months into the position, he told the news outlet Isthmus that despite the rumors he was in the job “for the long haul.” Barnes’ three children and wife continued to live in Illinois, where he previously worked, while he rented an apartment in Madison, Isthmus reported.
Barnes has taken center stage responding to the school shooting with mixed results. His department initially reported that five people had been killed.
Two wounded students remained in critical condition Friday but were stable, UW Hospital said.
Barnes also said at a news conference that the first 911 call came from a second-grade student. A day later, Barnes said it had in fact come from a second-grade teacher.
Barnes has done many interviews with local and national media outlets this week, while defending not releasing more details about the shooter’s motivation or whether her parents may be charged, citing the ongoing investigation.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway on Friday congratulated Barnes on his new job and praised his handling of the shooting.
“I’m grateful that the Madison Police Department responded to this unthinkable crisis with the utmost professionalism and compassion,” Rhodes-Conway said in her own statement.
Barnes is a former U.S. Marine who began his law enforcement career in 2000 with the Greensboro Police Department in North Carolina. He left to become deputy chief of police in Salisbury, North Carolina, from 2017 to 2020. He worked as the director of training and professional development with Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability starting in August 2020 before coming to Madison as chief in February 2021.
With the action-packed Wisconsin high school boys basketball regular season completed and March Madness beginning, it’s time to take a look at some of the outstanding players and cast your vote for the best.
We began by looking at the most prolific individual scoring threats, talented 3-point shooters,strong rebounders, and top free-throw shooters so now it’s time to take a look at the high-caliber guards from throughout the state.
There are hundreds of high-caliber boys basketball players in Wisconsin, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive.
Voting remains open until March 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
(Players are listed in alphabetical order and all nominees are leaders from the 2025-26 season as compiled by Bound.com, and WIAA; the poll is below the list of athletes)
Castillo is averaging 25.4 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals for Greendale (18-6 overall record).
Collien is averaging 15 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists for Oakfield (21-3 overall record).
Edwards is averaging 14.1 points per game with 7.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists for D.C. Everest (21-3 overall record).
Gray Jr. was averaging 24.3 points per game with 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals prior for West Allis Central (22-2 overall record).
Hereford is averaging 36.4 points per game with 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 steals for Beloit Memorial (22-2 overall record).
Johnson is averaging 27.3 points per game with 8.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.6 steals for Milwaukee Juneau (22-1 overall record).
Jones is averaging 23.3 points per game with 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.6 steals for Germantown (15-9 overall record).
Kern is averaging 16 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists for New Berlin West (21-3 overall record).
Kilgore is averaging 14.6 points per game with 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 steals for Kewaunee (24-0 overall record).
Kohnen is averaging 16.3 points per game with 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals for Slinger (20-4 overall record).
Knueppel is averaging 17.4 points per game with 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals for Wisconsin Lutheran (24-0 overall record).
Loose is averaging 18.2 points per game with 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals for Port Washington (23-1 overall).
Manchester is averaging 35.8 points per game for Mount Horeb (19-5 overall record).
Platz is averaging 19.5 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals for Brookfield East (19-5 overall record).
Prochnow is averaging 21.3 points per game with 11.1 assists, 4.8 assists, and 3.2 steals for Reedsville (21-3 overall record).
Resch is averaging 21.3 points per game with 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals for Arrowhead (18-6 overall record).
Schultz is averaging 27.4 points per game with 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 steals for Plymouth (17-7 overall record).
Schwalbach is averaging 15 points per game with 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for Kaukauna (21-3 overall).
Sweeney is averaging 15.5 points per game for Appleton North (20-4 overall record).
Vandenberg is averaging 13 points per game with 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds for Freedom (23-1 overall).
About Our Player Poll Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
— Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com
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