3 Dead, Suspect Killed in Gilroy Garlic Festival Shooting

Authored by nbcbayarea.com and submitted by comediekid

Three people were killed, including a 6-year-old boy, and 12 others were wounded Sunday after a gunman cut through a fence to avoid security and opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California. Bob Redell, Ali Wolf and Scott McGrew report.

Three people were killed, including a 6-year-old boy, and 12 others were wounded Sunday after a gunman cut through a fence to avoid security and opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California.

The other two people killed in the shooting have been identified as a 13-year-old girl and a man in his 20s, police said.

The gunman, who was shot and killed by police, has been identified as Santino William Legan, a federal law enforcement official confirmed to NBC News. Police in a news conference Monday said the gunman used an AK-47 type assault rifle purchased legally in Nevada on July 9.

"This is a tragic incident for our community," Gilroy Mayor Roland Velasco said. "On behalf of the city and the Gilroy City Council our thoughts and prayers go out the victims and families."

Shooter, 6-Year-Old Victim Among 4 Dead in Calif. Garlic Festival Shooting

Four people were killed, including one suspect, and at least 12 others were shot at a garlic festival in Gilroy, California. (Published 5 hours ago)

There were reports that a second suspect may have been involved in the shooting. Police are still trying to determine if that is the case.

"We don't have any confirmation that any second suspect did any shooting, but we certainly are investigating all leads to try to determine who that potential second suspect is and what exactly that person's role was," Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee said Monday.

A motive behind the shooting remains unknown, Smithee said.

Witness Describes Chaos During Gilroy Garlic Fest Shooting

Patrice Waugh describes the scene following a shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. (Published Sunday, July 28, 2019)

The 6-year-old boy who died was identified as Steven Romero by members of his family.

"My son had his whole life to live and he was only 6," his father Alberto Romero told NBC Bay Area. "That's all I can say."

Police and emergency personnel responded to reports of an active shooter incident at Gilroy's Christmas Hill Park at around 5:40 p.m. PT, Smithee said. Officers engaged the suspect and killed him within a minute.

Witnesses reported seeing a potential second suspect, and as of early Monday morning the scene was still active, with multiple agencies searching for the possible outstanding suspect, according to Gilroy police.

Late Sunday, officials said 15 people were injured in the shooting. They later clarified to say 12 people were hurt.

Officials with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center said they received five victims from the shooting, including two major trauma victims from St. Louise Hospital in Gilroy.

St. Louise initially received six gunshot wound victims, and of the four that remained there, one died, a hospital spokesperson said.

An official with Regional Medical Center in San Jose said the hospital received four victims, one of whom was in critical condition.

'He Was Ready to Do Some Damage': Witness Describes Gilroy, Calif. Shooting

A witness describes the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. (Published Sunday, July 28, 2019)

One witness told NBC Bay Area he was on his way out of the festival when he felt a bullet pass by his head, and when he turned around, he saw everyone running.

Another witness said some people were stranded at nearby Las Animas Elementary School.

San Jose police and fire units responded to the scene to assist, according to a tweet from Mayor Sam Liccardo. Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputies also were on scene, along with California Highway Patrol units.

For those searching for loved ones, a reunification center was set up at nearby Gavilan College in parking lot B, according to Gilroy police.

RAW: Gilroy Police Updates on Garlic Festival Mass Shooting

Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee provides updates on the deadly mass shooting at the city's annual garlic festival. (Published Sunday, July 28, 2019)

President Donald Trump, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other political leaders reacted to the shooting on social media late Sunday.

Attorney General William Barr was also briefed on the shooting, and the Justice Department is providing resources and monitoring the situation, a department spokesperson said early Monday.

The festival, now in its 41st year, is a local tradition that attracts thousands annually. It was wrapping up its third and final day when reports of the shooting came in.

NBC Bay Area's Laura Garcia, Marianne Favro, Robert Handa and Janelle Wang contributed to this report.

Crazedgeekgirl on July 29th, 2019 at 05:48 UTC »

If you went to festival yesterday and maybe today and took videos or pictures, don't delete them. The shooter(s) might have scoped it out. Might be useful to the police, if they ask for them.

https://mobile.twitter.com/gilroypd.

Edit: The police released the shooter name late last night. It looks like it could be possible that there is another person. Images of him with someone could be helpful.

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/garlic-festival-mass-shooting-gilroy-california-victims-suspect-santino-william-legan-live-updates/

tocamix90 on July 29th, 2019 at 02:04 UTC »

At a fucking food festival!?!

BlackCrackWhack on July 29th, 2019 at 01:40 UTC »

I live literally across the street from where the garlic festival takes place and was leaving to go to a friends house when 6 cop cars rolled by the fastest I’ve ever seen, this is actually crazy for this town which is small compared to the rest of the Bay Area.