Teen identified as Gilroy Garlic Festival mass shooter
GILROY, CALIFORNIA: A California teenager was identified by police on Monday as the gunman who opened fire with an assault rifle at a garlic festival in Gilroy, California, killing three people, including two children.
On Sunday evening, Santino William Legan, 19, cut through a fence at the festival to evade metal detectors and shot people seemingly at random with an "AK-47-style" assault rifle, Gilroy police chief Scot Smithee told reporters. Legan was fatally shot by three police officers armed with handguns.
"It could have gone so much worse so fast," Mr Smithee said, noting that the festival, which takes place 48km south-east of Silicon Valley, is attended by thousands of visitors for the food and music.
Police were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting and investigating unconfirmed reports by eyewitnesses that Legan may have had an accomplice.
Legan killed a six-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl and a man in his 20s, Mr Smithee said.
Police believe Legan, who was originally from Gilroy, purchased the rifle legally on July 9 in Nevada, where he had been living with family members.
At least 12 people were injured, but it was unclear how many of them were struck by gunfire. Police had initially said that 15 people were injured.
President Donald Trump described the gunman as a "wicked murderer" during an event at the White House and asked Americans to pray for the victims.
"We grieve for their families, and we ask that God will comfort them with his overflowing mercy and grace," he said. - REUTERS
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