Vehicles arrive on the scene of the investigation following a deadly shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, 80 miles south of San Francisco, California on July 28, 2019. \u2013 Three people were killed and at least 15 others injured in a shooting at a major food festival in California on Sunday, police said. Officers confronted and shot dead the suspect \u201cin less than a minute,\u201d said Scot Smithee, police chief of the city of Gilroy, 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of San Jose. (Photo by Philip Pacheco \/ AFP)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Three people were killed and at least 15 others injured in a shooting at a major food festival in California on Sunday, police said.<\/p>\n
Officers confronted and shot dead the suspect \u201cin less than a minute,\u201d said Scot Smithee, police chief of the city of Gilroy, 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of San Jose.<\/p>\n
Police said it was \u201cstill an active crime scene\u201d at the site of the three-day Gilroy Garlic Festival, one of the largest food festivals in the country.<\/p>\n
A search for a possible second suspect was ongoing, Smithee said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe based on witness statements that there was a second individual involved in some way, we just don\u2019t know in what way,\u201d he told journalists.<\/p>\n
Footage showed people fleeing in terror as shots rang out.<\/p>\n
A witness named Julissa Contreras told NBC a white man in his 30s armed with a rifle opened fire indiscriminately.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could see him shooting in just every direction. He wasn\u2019t aiming at anyone specifically. It was just left to right, right to left,\u201d Contreras said, according to NBC.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe definitely was prepared for what he was doing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Smithee said the suspect appeared to have entered the 50-acre festival site via a creek, using cutting equipment to breach the event\u2019s perimeter.<\/p>\n
Metal detectors and bag searches were in place as part of \u201cvery tight security\u201d at the festival, he said.<\/p>\n
No motive was known but the suspect\u2019s shooting appeared \u201csomewhat random,\u201d Smithee added. The suspect used \u201csome sort of a rifle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump earlier tweeted that law enforcement officers were at \u201cthe scene of shootings\u201d in Gilroy, urging members of the public to \u201cBe careful and safe!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Senseless violence\u2019 <\/strong>The Gilroy Garlic Festival features live entertainment including bands and cooking competitions as well as food and drink, and draws nearly 100,000 people over three days each year, according to organizers.<\/p>\nThe family event is a major focal point for the small city of around 50,000.<\/p>\nCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom said the incident was \u201cnothing short of horrific.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cTonight, (California) stands with the Gilroy community. My office is monitoring the situation closely,\u201d he tweeted. <\/p>\n\u201cGrateful for the law enforcement\u2019s efforts and their continued work as this situation develops.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Mercury News reported that the shooting took place as the festival was winding down.<\/p>\nStagehand Shawn Viaggi hit the ground after hearing \u201cloud pops,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\u201cI called out, \u2018It\u2019s a real gun, let\u2019s get out of here,\u2019 and we hid under the stage,\u201d Viaggi said, according to the newspaper.<\/p>\nThirteen-year-old Evenny Reyes told the paper that \u201cwe were just leaving and we saw a guy with a bandana wrapped around his leg because he got shot. And there were people on the ground, crying.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cThere was a little kid hurt on the ground. People were throwing tables and cutting fences to get out,\u201d said Reyes.<\/p>\n\u201cThe hearts of Gilroy PD and entire community go out to the victims of today\u2019s shooting at the Garlic Festival,\u201d the local police department tweeted.<\/p>\n\u201cGrateful to first responders who are on the scene in Gilroy and keeping those injured by such senseless violence in my thoughts,\u201d Senator Kamala Harris, who is running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, wrote on Twitter.<\/p>\nSan Jose mayor Sam Liccardo tweeted: \u201cPraying for lives and recoveries of each of the shooting victims at #GilroyGarlicFestival. We will continue to support our neighbours in any way we can.\u201d<\/p>\nShootings are a frequent occurrence in the United States, but despite the scale of the gun violence problem in the country, efforts to address it legislatively have long been largely deadlocked at the federal level.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
The family event is a major focal point for the small city of around 50,000.<\/p>\n
California Governor Gavin Newsom said the incident was \u201cnothing short of horrific.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight, (California) stands with the Gilroy community. My office is monitoring the situation closely,\u201d he tweeted. <\/p>\n
\u201cGrateful for the law enforcement\u2019s efforts and their continued work as this situation develops.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Mercury News reported that the shooting took place as the festival was winding down.<\/p>\n
Stagehand Shawn Viaggi hit the ground after hearing \u201cloud pops,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI called out, \u2018It\u2019s a real gun, let\u2019s get out of here,\u2019 and we hid under the stage,\u201d Viaggi said, according to the newspaper.<\/p>\n
Thirteen-year-old Evenny Reyes told the paper that \u201cwe were just leaving and we saw a guy with a bandana wrapped around his leg because he got shot. And there were people on the ground, crying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a little kid hurt on the ground. People were throwing tables and cutting fences to get out,\u201d said Reyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hearts of Gilroy PD and entire community go out to the victims of today\u2019s shooting at the Garlic Festival,\u201d the local police department tweeted.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrateful to first responders who are on the scene in Gilroy and keeping those injured by such senseless violence in my thoughts,\u201d Senator Kamala Harris, who is running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, wrote on Twitter.<\/p>\n
San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo tweeted: \u201cPraying for lives and recoveries of each of the shooting victims at #GilroyGarlicFestival. We will continue to support our neighbours in any way we can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shootings are a frequent occurrence in the United States, but despite the scale of the gun violence problem in the country, efforts to address it legislatively have long been largely deadlocked at the federal level.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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