July 29, 2019 – In Breaking News – CNN
Authorities say Santino William Legan killed three people, including a 6-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, at the Gilroy Garlic Festival with a rifle he legally purchased three weeks ago in Nevada.
The third fatality was a man in his 20s, and at least 12 other people — ranging in age from 12 to 69 years old — were injured in the attack, authorities said in a news conference Monday.
The gunman, 19, opened fire on the crowds attending the outdoor festival around 5:40 p.m. local time Sunday, according to Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee, and was fatally shot within one minute by three officers already on the scene.
(New details are emerging about the suspected gunman who killed three people at a popular food festival in California. The alleged gunman has been identified as 19-year-old Santino William Legan. Mary Ellen O’Toole, a retired FBI profiler and program director at George Mason University’s forensic science department, joins CBSN to offer a closer look at the suspect. Courtesy of CBS News and YouTube. Posted on Jul 29, 2019.)
“It could have gone so much worse, so fast,” said Smithee, who thanked the officers on duty at the festival for responding so quickly.
Monday morning, several police cars were outside the home of Legan’s father in Gilroy, a city of about 48,000 people.
What officials say about the shooter
The shooter had an assault-style rifle and appeared to shoot at random, Smithee said. The SKS, an “AK-47-type” rifle, was purchased legally in Nevada on July 9, he said, adding that his understanding is that Legan purchased the weapon himself.
(NBC News’ Ben Collins reports on newly-discovered social media profiles of Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting suspect Santino William Legan. Courtesy of NBC News and YouTube. Posted on Jul 29, 2019.)
It is believed that Legan, though originally from Gilroy, had been living with family members in Nevada, Smithee said, adding that he does not know how long Legan had been back in California.
The FBI searched a residence in Walker Lake, located in Mineral County, Nevada, “believed to have been used by” Legan in the days prior to the incident, according to Mineral County District Attorney Sean Rowe.
Witnesses reported seeing a second individual who has not yet been identified or found. “We’ve had multiple reports but different people give different versions so we don’t know at this point” if another suspect was involved or to what extent, said Smithee.
(Gilroy Garlic Festival shooter Santino William Legan, 19, died in a gun battle with officers, chief Scot Smithee said in an update on the shooting investigation Monday, July 30, 2019. Courtesy of Mercury News and YouTube. Posted on Jul 29, 2019.)
Police believe the suspect cut through a fence near the creek with a tool to enter onto the event grounds in Gilroy, which is about 30 miles south of San Jose.
There were no security cameras at the festival, according to Smithee.
The FBI Evidence Response Team from San Francisco has been processing the scene. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also there,along with various state and local police and fire departments.
The car Legan drove to the festival has been found and will be searched, Smithee said at a press conference Monday afternoon. Another search warrant was served on the family house in Gilroy earlier Monday.
Continue reading… Festival shooter Santino Legan legally purchased his rifle in Nevada. Here’s what else we know about the 19-year-old
(Details about the teenaged gunman responsible for the latest mass shooting have emerged. Santino Legan, 19, opened fire Sunday at a garlic festival in Gilroy, California. He was shot dead by police after killing three people, including a 6-year-old boy, and wounding 12 others. Police acted swiftly, bringing down the shooter within 60 seconds. Stephen Romero, 6, was the youngest victim. Stephen’s distraught father rushed to the hospital and was told the tragic news. Courtesy of Inside Edition and YouTube. Posted on Jul 29, 2019.)
AST strives to meet a 3 STAR trustworthiness rating, based on the following criteria:
- Provides named sources
- Reported by more than one notable outlet
- Includes supporting video, direct statements, or photos
