Suspect Named in Gilroy Festival Shooting

AP Photo/Josie Lepe – Gilroy Festival Shooting
Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee speaks at a press conference at Gavilan College following a shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, in Gilroy, Calif., July 28

A gunman identified as Santino William Legan, 19, cut through a fence and opened fire on a crowd at the popular Gilroy Garlic Festival in northern California, killing three, including a six-year-old boy and wounding at least 15 other before being shot dead by police, according to Associated Press. 

The shooter appeared to fire his rifle at random on Sunday afternoon at the event attracts more than 100,000 people to the city known as the “Garlic Capital of the World,” according to the town’s Police Chief Scot Smithee.

The shooter sneaked in through a fence that borders a parking lot next to a creek. 

Some witnesses reported a second suspect, but it wasn’t apparent whether that person was armed or simply provided assistance. A manhunt continued late into the night.

Among those killed was Six-year-old Stephen Romero.

“My son had his whole life to live and he was only six,” Alberto Romero told San Francisco Bay Area news station KNTV. “That’s all I can say.”

The band TinMan was starting an encore Sunday when the shooting started. According to AP, singer Jack van Breen said he saw a man in a green shirt and grayish handkerchief around his neck fire into the food area with what looked like an assault rifle. 

Bandmate Vlad Malinovsky heard the shots, which suddenly stopped. Later, law enforcement told those hiding to come out with their hands up.

In a tweet, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the bloodshed “nothing short of horrific” and expressed appreciation for the police response. President Donald Trump tweeted before authorities confirmed the gunman was dead and urged people to “be careful and safe!”

Video posted to social media showed people running in terror as shots rang out.

Other bands which played the festival before the shooting and escaped safely included country artists King Callaway, which had just completed its set and left the stage, Caylee Hammock and Waterloo Revival. Colbie Caillat headlined the festival on a different stage the night before.