Three dead, 15 hurt in Gilroy Garlic Fest shooting

Three festival goers were killed and at least 15 were wounded as an unknown assailant opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California, US on Sunday. While a gunman was shot dead by police, the search for another suspect — whose role in the shooting is not clear — is still on. The gunman entered the venue by cutting through a fence, in order to avoid security checks and metal detectors. Six-year-old Stephen Romero was among those killed in the shooting. Police said that the venue was still an active crime scene.

Festival attendees started to panic and flee as gunshots were heard during a band performance at the fest in Gilroy, which is located near San Jose. Some visitors hid under the music stage, while others tried to cover themselves in the tents at the fest site. Initially, the gunshots ringing through the air were mistook for fireworks. “Then I heard a second and I turned around where the noise came from. As I saw three girls crying and yelling, ‘There’s a shooting,’ as more shots were going off, my family yelled my name out and I got to catch up with them. It all happened so fast,” one of the visitors, Robert Villareal was quoted by CNN. 

The festival, held every year in a community known for its garlic production, attracts around 100,000 visitors.