Three killed, several wounded in shooting at Gilroy Garlic Festival
A gunman who reportedly cut through a fence to avoid security opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on Sunday (7/28) in Gilroy, CA killing three, including a 6-year-old child, and wounding at least 15 before police fatally shot him. Some witnesses reported a second suspect but authorities told the Associated Press that it is unclear whether the person was armed or just provided assistance. The festival, dubbed the largest garlic festival in the world, features food, cooking demonstrations and music, and classic rock cover band TinMan were on stage when the shooting started at around 5:30 PM. From the AP:
Singer Jack van Breen said he saw a man wearing a green shirt and grayish handkerchief around his neck fire into the food area with what looked like an assault rifle. Van Breen and other members of the band dove under the stage.
Van Breen, from nearby Santa Clara, said he heard someone shout: “Why are you doing this?” and the reply: “Because I’m really angry.”
Their audience began screaming and running, and the five members of TinMan and others dove under the stage.
Van Breen’s bandmate, Vlad Malinovsky of Walnut Creek, California, said he heard a lot of shots and then it stopped. Later, law enforcement came by and told the band members and others hiding with them to come out with their hands up.
Country artists Caylee Hammack, King Calaway and Waterloo Revival had played earlier in the day, and all three took to social media to confirm their safety following the shooting.
— King Calaway (@KingCalaway) July 29, 2019
Thank you to everyone who has called and Text, we are all okay and safe from the Garlic Festival shootings. Please pray for the victims and their families.
— Waterloo Revival (@waterloorevival) July 29, 2019
WE ARE OKAY! We left right before all this must’ve happened and we are okay. @waterloorev kingcalaway and us all played today but we believe are all safe and away from the festival now. This makes me sick. There… https://t.co/b6SjBbyMwd
— Caylee Hammack (@Cayleehammack) July 29, 2019
Restaurateur and Top Chef co-host Tom Colicchio was also there on Sunday judging the “Great Garlic Cook-Off.”
I was in Gilroy at the Garlic Festival yesterday. Really great community. Prayers go out to all #GilroyGarlicFestival #gilroyactiveshooter
— Tom Colicchio (@tomcolicchio) July 29, 2019
The festival, which is about 30 miles south of San Jose, began in 1979 and draws tens of thousands of visitors.
You can watch an AP report on the shooting below.