Candlelight Vigil Pays Homage To Victims Of Gilroy Shooting

GILROY, CA — A resilient Gilroy community is expected to turn out for a candlelight vigil slated Thursday night on a prominent downtown street corner, marking a rebuilding of faith and strength after a suspected teenage gunman open fired on his neighbors during its most celebrated weekend — the Garlic Festival.

The vigil is planned for 7 p.m. at Fifth and Monterey streets in Gilroy, a follow up to Monday's gathering that brought out the community in a show of force to rebuild.

When all was said and done in the last few minutes of the Garlic Festival — an event that brings out at least 80,000 people to partake in the fun — four people were dead, including the gunman identified as Santino William Legan of Gilroy. The 19-year-old from a well-known family was shot by police, which had a heightened presence for the festival.

The three killed were innocent young bystanders: 6-year-old Stephen Romero, a youngster described as having his whole life ahead of him; 13-year-old Keyla Salazar, who relished being with her family; and 25-year-old Trevor Irby, who was a biology major at Keuka College in the upstate New York town of Romulus.

Between the three, more than $116,000 had been raised through the families' GoFundMe accounts by midday Tuesday.

Sixteen were injured Sunday night, with about a third of them remaining in the hospital through Monday in conditions ranging from fair to critical.

Moreover, a multitude of people have reported near misses and grief over the loss of innocent members of their community and beyond as well as the loss of their own innocence in what is being billed as another case of senseless violence that seems to occur far too often for many in our society to fathom.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 40,000 people were killed by guns last year.

All across the nation and especially in California where the gunman couldn't have bought the rifle legally renewed calls for gun control have emerged as often they do after mass shootings.

A frustrated California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who met with the hospitalized victims on Monday, took part in that debate, calling the mass casualty event the latest "unfortunate reality of living in America."

"Yesterday, I met with a 12-year-old who was shot while in a bounce house. A grandmother mourning the loss of her 6-year-old son. Families and friends left their homes for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon and instead faced an unspeakable mass shooting and lost their loved ones," Newsom said. "The Gilroy shooting is gut-wrenching. It cuts deep. I am hurt. I am angry. I am still reeling from this tragic moment."

Trauma counseling is available

Santa Clara County is offering counseling services through behavioral health clinicians, who are available at Live Oaks School located at 1505 East Main Avenue in Morgan Hill as well as Christopher School located at 850 Day Road in Gilroy. People can also call the Behavioral Health Services call center and get connected to services at 800-704-0900, select option 2. They can also call the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 855-278-4204 or text RENEW to 741741.

The county District Attorney's Office announced onsite counseling relative to the Gilroy mass shooting starting at 5 p.m. Monday at Rucker Elementary School located at 325 Santa Clara Ave. in
Gilroy.
The hours are from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Friday. More information may be obtained by calling The Family Assistance Center at 408-209-8356.

The search continues

Meanwhile, a manhunt remains for a possible second suspect, but as days go by, the likelihood the gunman acted alone is strong. The police department indicated it believes there is "no suspected threat to the community."

But with the Federal Bureau of Investigations making a public plea for help while the authorities gather evidence, and Gilroy Police still working what is deemed a "very large, complex crime scene" over the next three to five days, the authorities are not wanting to rule out anything that will lead them to the truth.

Police Chief Scot Smithee asked witnesses "to continue to come forward" because there "could potentially be something important" to share.

"We don't want to dissuade that," he said in the press conference.

The tip line is 408-846-0583.

FBI Special Agent In Charge Craig Fair emphasized the key question remains a motive. The bureau continues to "review social media" to get a complete picture of the suspect. Fair added he has "no reason to believe" the gunman targeted minorities.

Thus far, nothing has been substantiated beyond a suspicious Instagram post declaring relative to white supremacy.

Police had issued search warrants at the suspect's home on Churchill Place and his vehicle found on Laurel Street bordering the festival. Police indicated Legan cut through the fence to get onto the grounds with an AK-47 assault rifle without going through metal detectors.

The three officers involved with the shooting of the gunman were placed on leave because of the trauma of the incident, Smithee explained. The chief said he's open to releasing the names of the officers at a future date. He reiterated having no reason to believe those suffering from gunshot wounds were hit by police bullets.

Vendors, volunteers on one side of the grounds may pick up items through a police shuttle

As hundreds of people scattered in the chaos, countless items were left behind.

Vendors and volunteers can now retrieve vehicles left behind at the Gilroy Garlic Festival after Sunday's mass shooting, one vendor told Patch. — but only one side of the grounds.

For now, officers were escorting Tuesday afternoon the workers to the Volunteer Lot at West Tenth Street and Uvas Parkway.

See also

• Gilroy Garlic Festival Shooting: 3 Victims, Suspect Identified

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