Gilroy's Park, Festival Shooting Scene Reopens For Public Access

GILROY, CA — A probable gift to a community in healing, Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy reopened Tuesday after a month of being off limits in the aftermath of a mass shooting that killed four including the gunman and injured 20.

Since the July 28 shooting during the Garlic Festival, the southern Santa Clara County town has staged multiple press conferences, community vigils, group gatherings, counseling sessions and item retrievals. Hundreds fled the scene without regard to wallets, purses, bicycles, booth belongings and even memories of a long history of years with no crime associated with the prized agricultural community's event.

"This is important for the community — a step toward the healing process. We all go through various stages of grief on our own. Once again, it was nice to reminded that this is a beautiful park," Gilroy Mayor Roland Velasco told Patch.

Some memories remain etched in the souls of those who helped others amid the tragedy.

Gilroy Chamber of Commerce Mark Turner recalls the time like it was yesterday.

Turner was working as a volunteer in the beer garden for the chamber on the ranch side of the park during an event he calls "Gilroy's family reunion." When the shooting broke out, he was relieved about the false notion his wife Sue and their daughter had left already. He found out otherwise later that they were there but thankfully safe.

His concern among other able-bodied attendees was to harbor those who weren't hit by gunfire by the late shooter Santino Legan and to help those who were. The longtime Gilroy resident assisted others who were tending to Trevor Irby, a 25-year-old Santa Cruz victim who was fatally shot along with 13- and 6-year-old Keyla Salazar and Stephen Romero, respectively. At the time, people placed hay bales around Irby. Turner provided comfort to Irby's fiance.

It was though time stood still.

"The garlic bread was still on the grill (after the incident unfolded)," Sue Turner told Patch while on a recent vacation at Lake Tahoe with her husband and other family members to decompress from the tragedy.

"We have still a bit of an eerie feeling," the chamber director and former pastor of 12 years said.

The next day, the city looked like a ghost town.

"Of the people I talked to, nobody slept well," he said.

There was massive media coverage, and life had to go on. The chamber had a car show to put on.

"I wasn't sure what we would see in attendance," he said.

Instead of many people withdrawing, the event brought an "overwhelming" crowd. It was as though the disastrous event was not going to steel the community's resolve. Hence, there's the mantra "Gilroy Strong."

With that, the community showed its true colors — a light at the end of the tunnel for Turner.

"I'm really proud of the business community. Within hours, they began responding to the incident. We had people pulling up to the evacuation centers to see what they could do," he said. "That speaks to the heart of the community."

His wife nodded.

"That's the spirit of this community," she said.

And there lies the irony with disasters and tragic events.

"When a tragedy occurs, it brings out the goodness we all have within us," he said.

Granted, this doesn't mean those on the sidelines aren't profoundly affected.

In times of trouble, the helping gene kicks in and works in a very methodical way. It's later on people grasp what they went through. The response and incident also helps people take stock in what matters in life.

Late that night, the Turners hugged each other then allowed themselves the most forgiving of all reactions. They cried.

See also

• Gilroy Garlic Festival Shooting: 3 Victims, Suspect Identified
• Candlelight Vigil Pays Homage To Victims Of Gilroy Shooting
• Gilroy Garlic Festival Vendor Decompressing From Loss
• Duo Injured In Gilroy Festival Shooting 'Happy To Be Alive'
• 3 Heroic Gilroy Officers Who Took Down Suspect Identified
• Candlelight Vigil Brings Gilroy Together
• El Pollo Loco Donating All Aug. 12 Sales To Victims' Families
• Sharks Donate $10K To Gilroy Fund, Host 1st Responder 'Puck Drop'
• Lady Gaga Donates $11K To Gilroy Schools
• At $1 Mill Strong, Gilroy To Play Golf, Eat Pizza At Fundraisers
• Gilroy High Choir To Sing National Anthem At Top Sporting Events