3 killed in shooting incident in Northern California
At least 3 people were killed, while several others were injured in a shooting incident at an annual food festival in Northern California on Sunday. The injured were admitted to Stanford Medical Center following the incident. According to an official, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center received five victims. However, information on their medical condition was not available.
Witnesses to the shooting said the incident took place at around 5:30 pm, following which there was panic and confusion at the scene.
“We were just leaving and we saw a guy with a bandana wrapped around his leg because he got shot. And there were people on the ground, crying,” an eyewitness said. “There was a little kid hurt on the ground. People were throwing tables and cutting fences to get out," he added.
Todd Jones, a sound engineer, said he was at the front of the festival’s Vineyard stage when he heard what sounded like a firework. “But then it started to increase, more rapidly, which sounded more like gunfire, and at that point, people realized what was happening,” Jones said.
Natalie Martinez, a Gilroy Resident, told the Mercury News that she had gone to get food and separated from her two daughters. “I ran to find the girls . and we basically ran into each other. I thought, We’re open prey. It was awful.”
Video first posted on social media sites at about 5:30 p.m. showed people running for safety at the festival.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are responding to the scene of the shooting.
Gilroy is a city of roughly 50,000 located about 80 miles (176 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. It’s dubbed the “Garlic Capital of the World,” and the annual garlic festival is a three-day celebration featuring food, cooking competitions and music that attracts more than 100,000 people. Sunday was the final day of this year’s event.
The Gilroy Police Department on its Twitter account issued a statement saying: “The hearts of Gilroy PD and entire community go out to the victims of today’s shooting at the Garlic Festival. The scene is still active. If you are looking for a loved one, please go to the reunification center at Gavilan College at parking lot B.”
President Donald Trump tweeted about the shooting Sunday night. “Law Enforcement is at the scene of shootings in Gilroy, California. Reports are that shooter has not yet been apprehended. Be careful and safe!” he wrote.
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