A six-year-old boy was among the dead after a gunman cut through a fence to avoid security and opened fire at Northern California’s popular Gilroy Garlic Festival.
Three people were killed and at least 15 wounded before police fatally shot the gunman as terrified people and performers ran for cover.
Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee said the assailant was armed with a rifle and sneaked in through a fence that borders a parking lot next to a creek.
He appeared to randomly target people when he opened fire at the conclusion of the three-day festival that attracts more than 100,000 people to the city known as the Garlic Capital Of The World.
This is nothing short of horrific. Tonight, CA stands with the Gilroy community. My office is monitoring the situation closely. Grateful for the law enforcement’s efforts and their continued work as this situation develops. https://t.co/GrtHjtCEz7
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 29, 2019
Police responded within a minute, engaged the suspect and killed him, Mr Smithee said.
Some witnesses reported a second suspect, Mr Smithee said, but it was unclear whether that person was armed or simply provided assistance.
A manhunt continued late into the night.
Mr Smithee called the scene at the festival a “nightmare you hope you never have to live”.
A six-year-old boy was one among those killed, his father said.
“My son had his whole life to live and he was only six,” the father of Stephen Romero told NBC Bay Area.
“That’s all I can say.”
The wounded were taken to multiple hospitals, and their conditions ranged from fair to critical, with some in surgery Sunday night.
At least five were treated and released.
The Gilroy Garlic Festival features food, cooking contests and music.
It is a decades-old staple in the agricultural city of 50,000 about 80 miles south east of San Francisco.
Security is tight, festival-goers pass through metal detectors and their bags are searched.
On Sunday, the band TinMan was starting an encore with the song We’re An American Band when the shooting started.
Singer Jack van Breen said he saw a man wearing a green shirt and greyish handkerchief around his neck fire into the food area with what looked like an assault rifle.
Van Breen and other members of the band sought cover 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.
Chief Smithee: Gun shots were heard around 5:41pm and officers engaged #GilroyActiveShooter in less than a minute. Witnesses stated there may be a 2nd shooter, investigation continues.
— Gilroy Police (@GilroyPD) July 29, 2019
Van Breen’s bandmate, Vlad Malinovsky of Walnut Creek, California, said he heard a lot of shots and then it stopped.
Later, police came by and told the band members and others hiding with them to come out with their hands up.
Taylor Jackson was working at a booth drawing caricatures of festival-goers when she heard gunfire, saw people running and “ran for the hills.”
She said her boss ran in the opposite direction.
Several hours later, Ms Jackson was at a reunification centre trying to get information on her whereabouts.
Donna Carlson of Reno, Nevada, was helping a friend at a jewellery booth when “all of a sudden it was pop, pop, pop. And I said, ‘I sure hope that’s fireworks’.”
She got on her hands and knees and hid behind a table until police told her it was safe to leave.
In a tweet, California governor, Gavin Newsom called the bloodshed “nothing short of horrific” and expressed appreciation for the police response.
Law Enforcement is at the scene of shootings in Gilroy, California. Reports are that shooter has not yet been apprehended. Be careful and safe!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2019
President Donald Trump tweeted before authorities confirmed the gunman was dead and urged people to “be careful and safe!”
Video posted to social media showed people running in terror as shots rang out.
Evenny Reyes of Gilroy, 13, told the Mercury News that she spent the day at the festival with her friends and relatives.
“We were just leaving and we saw a guy with a bandanna wrapped around his leg because he got shot. And there were people on the ground, crying,” Evenny said.
“There was a little kid hurt on the ground. People were throwing tables and cutting fences to get out.”
Evenny said that she did not run at first because the gunshots sounded like fireworks.
“It started going for five minutes, maybe three. It was like the movies, everyone was crying, people were screaming,” she said.
Mr Smithee said the festival is a source of pride for the community and that thousands donate their time to make it a success.
“It’s incredibly sad and disheartening that an event that does so much good for our community has to suffer from a tragedy like this,” he said.
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