A legendary California food festival turned into a scene of horror on Sunday night, when at least one person opened fire at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. At least three people were killed and 15 others were injured during the shooting.
The three-day event is held every year in the Santa Clara County town of Gilroy, which bills itself as the “Garlic Capital of the World.” It’s hosted by community volunteers and raises money for schools, charities and nonprofit organizations. “It is genuinely a community event, in a way that I think few events like it are,” said Emily Alpert-Reyes, who began her career in Gilroy, wrote on Twitter.
This story from the Gilroy Dispatch, which was published on Thursday, gives a sense of what the festival is like. And this longer 2018 storyfrom Curbed offers a deeper look at the importance of garlic to Gilroy, and the city’s history.
Here’s more coverage on the shooting:
» Witnesses describe Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting horror: “Active shooter, active shooter.” Los Angeles Times
» A 72-year-old hat vendor at the festival describes witnessing the shooting. San Francisco Chronicle