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At least 3 dead in California garlic festival shooting

A screengrab taken from video and uploaded to twitter appears to show people scrambling at the Gilroy Garlic Festival
Multiple fatalities after shooting at garlic festival
01:53 - Source: CNN

What we know now

  • What happened: A shooting occurred at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California. Gilroy is located near San Jose.
  • The victims: At least three people are dead, including a 6-year-old boy, and at least 12 more have been injured, officials say. A spokesperson for the Santa Clara County Health System said their hospitals received 11 patients with gunshot wounds, and 8 more with injuries that weren’t gunshot related.
  • The suspect: The suspect in the shooting has been identified by investigators as 19-year-old Santino William Legan, two law enforcement officials tell CNN.
  • Authorities response: Gilroy police say the crime scene is still active.
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Here’s what we know about the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting

A man opened fire at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California Sunday night. Nearly 100,000 people attend the weekend-long event each year. 

Our live coverage of the shooting has ended but you can read more about it here.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • The victims: At least three people are dead including a 6-year-old boy, and 12 more have been injured, police say. At least one of those people is in critical condition at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. A spokesperson for the medical center said their patients are between the ages of 12 and 69-years old.
  • The suspect: Police identified the suspect as 19-year-old Santino William Legan. He was fatally shot by police about a minute after opening fire. Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee said the shooter was armed with an AK-47 assault-type rifle. Instagram posts bearing the name of the suspected gunman mentioned a white supremacist book and showed a picture of people walking around the event shortly before the shooting began.

 What we still don’t know:

  • The motive: The FBI said they are working with Gilroy police to investigate the shooter’s motive, any ideological leanings and if the shooter was associated with anyone or any groups.
  • A second suspect: Chief Smithee said the department had “reports of a potential second suspect” but do not know if they did any shooting or what exactly their role was in the event.

All patients at St. Louise Regional Hospital have been discharged

There are currently no patients from the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival left at St. Louise Regional Hospital.

Joy Alexiou a spokesperson for Santa Clara County Health System said the patients that St. Louise received Sunday night were discharged or never admitted.

In total, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and St. Louise received 11 patients with gunshot wounds and 8 with injuries that were not gunshot related, Alexiou said.

Updated numbers: There are still five patients receiving treatment at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. One is in critical condition, one is in serious condition, one is in fair condition and the other two have requested that no information about them be released.

Because she can only speak for the Santa Clara County Health System, Alexiou could not give updates about how many patients remain at other facilities in the region, such as Stanford Hospital.

Ten victims remain hospitalized after the shooting

A total of 12 people were wounded at the Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California, according to Mitch Matlow, public information officer with the South Bay Incident Management Team. Four people are dead, including the shooter, Matlow said.  

10 people remain in area hospitals. Here is an update on the condition of the victims at each hospital:

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (5 patients)

Five patients remain at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Their ages range from 12 to 69 years old, according to Joy Alexiou a spokesperson for Santa Clara County Health System. 

Breakdown:

  • 1 is in critical condition
  • 2 are in serious condition
  • 2 are in fair condition
  • 1 was treated and discharged

St. Louise Regional Hospital (3 patients)

Three patients remain at St. Louise Hospital, according to Alexiou.

Breakdown:

  • 3 remain in the hospital in serious to fair condition

Stanford Hospital (2 patients)

Two patients remain at Stanford Hospital, according to Julie Greicius, a spokesperson with Stanford Medicine. Greicius could not tell CNN the types of injuries their patients have.   

Breakdown:

  • 2 patients remain in care
  • 1 was treated and discharged

The FBI is assisting Gilroy PD in determining the motive of the shooter

The FBI is working with police to investigate the motive of the Gilroy shooter.

FBI special agent Craig Fair said the agency is assisting the Gilroy Police Department to determine any ideological leanings and whether the shooter is associated with anyone or any groups.

The possibility of a second suspect is also still being investigated, Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee said at a news conference Monday.

Here’s what he said:

Gilroy police chief confirms shooter used AK-47 assault-type rifle in shooting

Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee said that three officers on the scene engaged the suspect who was armed with “an assault-type rifle” in “less than a minute” after receiving reports of the shooting at the festival. He confirmed that the officers fatally wounded the suspect.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of the officers for being able to engage this guy as quickly as they did because we had thousands of people there in a very small area,” Smithee said.

“You know, it could have gone so much worse so fast,” he said.

Smithee said that there three confirmed deceased victims from the shooting.

“We have one who is a 6-year-old, a 6-year-old male victim. We also had a 13-year-old female victim and then we had another male victim in his 20s,” Smithee said.

Smithee said that police do not have a motive for the shooting as yet. On reports of a potential second suspect, Smithee said the police don’t have any confirmation of a second shooter but they are “investigating all leads to try to determine who that potential second suspect is and what exactly that person’s role was.”

Smithee said that investigators found that the suspect used an “AK-47 type assault rifle” that was purchased legally in the state of Nevada on July the 9 this year.

He also confirmed the name of the suspect as Santino William Legan.

“I say that name with some hesitation because I don’t believe that somebody like this deserves the notoriety or the recognition,” he said.

Father of 6-year-old victim: "I couldn't believe what was happening"

The father of the young boy who was killed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on Sunday said the shooting felt like a dream.

Alberto Romero was home in San Jose late Sunday afternoon when he got a call from his wife who was at the festival. She told him someone had shot their 6-year-old son in the back, her in the stomach and hand and her mother in the leg.

“I couldn’t believe what was happening, that what she was saying was a lie, that maybe I was dreaming,” Romero, a 33-year-old electrician, told CNN affiliate The Mercury News newspaper on Monday.

Romero also said that five minutes after doctors told him his son was in critical condition, they told him that the boy had died.

His son, Stephen, just graduated kindergarten and was excited to start first grade.

Romero said Joseph Corona, who is a family friend, came to the hospital to support him. He described Stephen as “always positive.”

Stephen was one of the confirmed fatalities Sunday after a gunman went on a shooting rampage at the crowded festival before being shot by police.

Romero said his wife, Barbara Aquirre, was at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in a medically-induced coma and that his mother-in-law, Barbara Velasquez Aquirre was also being treated there.

Classmate: Shooting suspect "didn't stand out" at school

Josh Carman told CNN he knew who Santino Legan was, but didn’t know him well. When Carman was a senior at Gilroy High School, Legan was sophomore.

“I never had any classes with him or anything, so we never really got acquainted, I just have definitely seen him around school,” he said.  

What Carman does remember is that Legan, “wasn’t terribly out of place.” 

Medical Center: Five remaining patients range from 12 to 69-years old

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center received seven patients with gunshot wounds from the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting, according to Joy Alexiou a spokesperson for Santa Clara County Health System. 

Alexiou said five patients remain in their care as of Monday morning after one patient was discharged and another was transferred to Stanford.

Patients range in age between 12 and 69-years old.

Of the remaining five patients at Santa Clara, one is in critical condition, two are in serious condition and two are in fair condition.

Alexiou said the hospital was prepared and praised the responsiveness of the staff and emergency department.

“You don’t want to see events like this ever, but as an emergency department and a trauma center we are well prepared to respond to these type of events and the most serious injuries,” she said at a news conference. Alexiou continued to say it was a “great team effort from everyone involved.”

Instagram account bearing the suspect's name references garlic festival, white supremacist book

Instagram posts bearing the name of the suspected Gilroy Garlic Festival gunman mentioned a white supremacist book and showed a picture of people walking around the event shortly before the shooting began.

One included a photograph of the Garlic Festival with the words “Ayyy garlic festival time Come get wasted on overpriced sh**.”

The other, made about an hour later with a photo of a sign of Smokey Bear with a sign reading “Fire Danger High Today” said “Read Might is Right by Ragnar Redbeard. Why overcrowd towns and pave more open space to make room for hordes of mestizos and Silicon Valley white tw**s?”  

The Instagram account was started four days ago, with the handle santino_williamlegan.

A mestizo is a person of mixed descent, usually white and Hispanic, or white and American Indian.   

“Right is Might” was first published in the late 1800’s and has been described as a white supremacist text, promoting anarchy, and vilifying Christianity, calling Jesus the “true Prince of Evil.” The natural order, according to the book, is a world at war in which the strong must vanquish the weak, and white men must rule over those of color. 

Instagram has taken down the profile.

Suspect in mass shooting identified as Santino William Legan

The suspect in the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting has been identified by investigators as 19-year-old Santino William Legan, two law enforcement officials tell CNN.

This morning, CNN spotted multiple police cars at the home of Legan’s father in Gilroy, CA.

Here's what it looks like at the shooting scene

Officials are working to learn more about what happened after a shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California.

A gunman opened fire at the festival Sunday, killing 3 people and injuring at least 12 others.

Several law enforcement agencies are processing the scene today.

Here’s what it looked like Monday morning:

Trump: We must "stop evil, prevent violence and protect the safety of all Americans"

President Trump, speaking from the White House, thanked the law enforcement officers who responded to the deadly garlic festival shooting.

“We thank the brave members of law enforcement. They never let us down, who swiftly killed the shooter,” he said.

Trump called the perpetrator “a wicked murderer” who “opened fire and killed 3 innocent citizens including a young child.”

He offered prayers to the victims.

He continued: “We will continue to work together as communities and as citizens to stop evil, prevent violence and protect the safety of all Americans.”

The Gilroy Garlic Festival has raised millions for local charities

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is more than just a weekend of concerts and cooking demonstrations –– it has also raised millions for local nonprofits.

Established to celebrate garlicky foods and the tight-knit Gilroy community, the event has raised more than $11.7 million for local charities since 1979, organizers said. In 2018, organizers donated more than $255,000 to 170 different groups, including churches and school sports teams.

The culinary festival attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year to the small city of Gilroy, which calls itself the “garlic capital of the world,” according to organizers.

2020 Democrats react to garlic festival shooting: "This is sickening"

Several 2020 candidates posted on social media about the shooting:

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders said, “This is sickening to wake up to.” He added: “Our corrupt political system, which is controlled by the gun lobby, has a lot of waking up to do.
  • Rep. Beto O’Rourke tweeted he is sending “love to all who are hurting tonight,” and said, “We can accept this as our fate or we can change it.”
  • Sen. Cory Booker wrote, “My heart is already breaking for the victims and their families and the survivors. The gun violence epidemic in this country is out of control.”
  • Former Vice President Joe Biden asked on Twitter, “How many more families will have to lose a loved one before we fix our broken gun laws?”
  • Sen. Kamala Harris called the incident, “Simply horrific.” She added, “I’m grateful to the first responders who are on the scene in Gilroy, and my thoughts are with that community tonight.”
  • Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called gun violence a “national crisis.” She added, “We can’t keep ignoring this.”
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar tweeted “there are never adequate words to describe these tragedies.” She said, “Action is needed. “
  • Montana Gov. Steve Bullock tweeted, “No one should fear for their family’s safety when they go to a festival, to school, or to a movie.”
  • Rep. Tim Ryan called the shooting “heart breaking.” He added, “There’s no end to gun violence in our communities until we take action.”
  • Rep. Julian Castro said, “Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough—we must do more to prevent these tragic attacks.”

Read the tweets:

What you need to know about the garlic festival where the shooting took place

At least three people were killed and a dozen more were injured yesterday after a shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California.

Gilroy has a population of about 57,000 people and is widely known for its garlic production and processing.

About the festival: The annual food festival is held at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy, about 30 miles southeast of San Jose. Sunday was the festival’s final day. It routinely attracts 100,000 people, according to previous attendance records.

The festival dates back to 1979, when the first festival was held.

At least 12 people injured in shooting

At least 12 people were injured in the Sunday shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California, according to emergency officials.

One person was hurt and took themselves to the hospital, per Capt. Mitchell Matlow, and as a result was not included in the initial count, which reported that 11 people had been injured.

Matlow had no information on the nature and seriousness of the injuries.

Another three people were killed, including a 6-year-old boy.

"Who'd shoot up a garlic festival?"

Video from the Sunday shooting in Gilroy, California, showed the moment festival goers started running from the scene.

Three people were killed, including a 6-year-old boy, at a beloved annual event in a Northern Californian community.

The suspected gunman has been identified by law enforcement, but his motive in shooting up an event attended by nearly 100,000 people each year, many of them families, is still unclear.

The video, filmed by @wavyia, has been viewed more than 1 million times since she shared it on Twitter.

Gilroy Mayor: "It’s been a long and sad day"

There won’t be many new details coming later today in the Gilroy shooting investigation, according to the town’s mayor Roland Velasco.

Velasco said there will be a press conference at 10 a.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) at the Gilroy Police Department, but “there won’t be a lot of new information.”

Instead, authorities will be “setting the expectations for what the investigation will look like during the day.”

The mayor also posted a local emergency proclamation, which allows the city to request personnel, equipment and facilities while it tracks expenses that could get reimbursed by the state.

“This is critically important since we have police, fire and FBI personnel that will remain on-scene for the next few days processing the crime scene,” Velasco said.

Mass shootings are a "new normal" in the US

Mass shootings like the one that struck the Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California, have become the “new normal” in the US, James Gagliano, a CNN law enforcement analyst, said Monday.

But the retired FBI supervisory special agent said it was “extremely fortuitous” that armed law enforcement officers were on the scene swiftly and able to engage the gunman within one minute.

Mass shootings are often over in 5 to 10 minutes, with the gunman typically engaging with police or leaving the scene before authorities arrive, according to Gagliano.

The fast work by local law enforcement prevented “far more damage” from occurring, Gagliano added.

What we know and don't know

If you’re just joining us, here’s what we know, and what we don’t know, about Sunday’s shooting in Gilroy, Northern California.

A police officer stands guard at Gilroy High School after a deadly shooting at the nearby garlic festival Sunday.

What we know:

  • Where it happened: The shooting struck the garlic festival in Gilroy, about 30 miles from San Jose, a beloved annual event in a community known for its garlic production.
  • The suspect: Investigators have now identified the suspect, who was shot and killed by police, a law enforcement source said Monday morning. Authorities say the crime scene is still active and they are investigating the possibility of a second suspect.
  • The victims: At least three people are dead and 11 more have been injured, including a 6-year-old boy, officials say. Those injured in the incident are being treated at St. Louise Regional Hospital, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Stanford Hospital.
  • What’s next: Police say the ongoing investigation will continue throughout the night, and there will be another press conference in the morning. Meanwhile, they are urging the public to phone in tips or relevant information at (408) 846 0583.

What we don’t know:

  • Motive: The suspected shooter’s identity has not been released publicly by authorities, nor has his motive been determined.
  • Who are the other victims? Stephen Romero, the 6-year-old “loving boy” killed in the shooting, is the only victim who has so far been identified by local authorities. Two other festivalgoers killed in the shooting have yet to be named. Limited details have been circulated about others injured in the shooting, who remain in hospital.
A gunman killed 3 people – including a 6-year-old boy -- and injured 11 others at a California food festival
6-year-old Stephen Romero was a ‘happy kid.’ He was shot and killed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival
California shooting suspect: An unknown motive and possible accomplice
There was a shooting at family-friendly festivals on two of America’s coasts this weekend
Ex- FBI agent: In an era of mass shootings, some advice on safety
How victims of mass shootings may be able to go after gun manufacturers
A gunman killed 3 people – including a 6-year-old boy -- and injured 11 others at a California food festival
6-year-old Stephen Romero was a ‘happy kid.’ He was shot and killed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival
California shooting suspect: An unknown motive and possible accomplice
There was a shooting at family-friendly festivals on two of America’s coasts this weekend
Ex- FBI agent: In an era of mass shootings, some advice on safety
How victims of mass shootings may be able to go after gun manufacturers