A Gunman Killed 3 People And Wounded 15 Others At A Garlic Festival In Gilroy, California

A gunman opened fire into an audience at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California on Sunday, July 28, killing at least three people and wounding 15 others, according to data released from City of Gilroy at 5:00 a.M. EST. One of the victims was a 6-year-old boy, Steven Romero, who was at the festival with his mother and grandmother, NBC News reported.


The perpetrator, who was wearing strategic gear and was armed with an assault-type rifle, according to the city, was shot and killed by Gilroy police. Authorities are currently searching for a potential second suspect.


The shooting occurred at one of foodies’ most beloved festivals, which nearly 100,000 people attend a year. It’s a three-day food fair, meant for a joyous celebration of the local garlic industry in Gilroy, a tiny city of nearly 60,000 people about 30 miles southeast of San Jose. Sunday was the last day of the festival; right once it was about to begin wrapping up, around 5:41 p.M., The perpetrator opened fire. He had, apparently, cut through a fence to get into the event, Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee said in a news conference at 10:00 p.M. Sunday night.


“Who’d shoot up a garlic festival?” A woman can be heard asking in one video, posted to twitter and filmed by @wavyia, that has been viewed more than 1 million times.


Julissa Contreras, a witness and former police cadet, said in an interview, according to NBC News, that a “average white guy” in his 30s, wearing a cap and sports sunglasses was silently shooting to the left and right — “whoever he might, honestly.”


“Some people immediately knew what was going on and saw the guy and ran,” Contreras mentioned in an interview, according to the Washington Post. "Some people were still sitting there unsure.”


“It's group kind of a nightmare you hope you never have to reside in reality,” Smithee mentioned at the news conference, adding that the suspect was firing “somewhat randomly.” They don’t currently have any intelligence on a possible motive, nevertheless they might release more data at another 10:00 a.M. (1:00 p.M. EST) news conference.


“It’s been a long and sad day,” Gilroy Mayor Roland Velasco mentioned in a Facebook post in which he proclaimed a local emergency in the city as a result of the shooting. He added at the news conference: “I would ask for the thoughts and prayers of the community as our officers continue to investigate this tragic and senseless crime.”


The shooting comes just the day right after one individual was killed and 11 more were injured in Brooklyn, New York. That shooting marked the most victims of an individual shooting in New York City since 2013, according to the Brooklyn Eagle. There have been nearly 50 mass shootings in the U.S. In July alone, according to Mass Shooting Tracker.


“This is the America we stay in right now, which I'm sort of ashamed to mention as a U.S. Citizen,” Contreras told NBC News.