Three people were killed and 15 injured on Sunday night at a Gilroy, California garlic festival when at least one shooter allegedly opened fire indiscriminately into the crowd. Police killed one suspected shooter on the scene, who has now been identified as Santino William Legan, 19. Authorities are still searching for a possible accomplice.
A six-year-old boy, Stephen Romero, was among those shot dead on the final day of the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California. The two other people killed have not yet been identified. Other injuries are said to range from fair to critical. A witness described a face-to-face encounter with Legan, who said the 19-year-old was shooting at the crowd, “Because I’m really angry.”
Details of Legan’s life before the fatal shooting on Sunday began to emerge the following day, including a cryptic post on Instagram about the Garlic Festival, posted moments before the suspect opened fire. In the post, Legan wrote, “Ayyy garlic festival time. Come get wasted on overpriced shit.” His account was later deleted.
Legan was also allegedly interested in literature that has been associated with white supremacist, misogynistic, and anti-Semitic views. Another post on Legan’s since-deleted Instagram account said, “Read Might Is Right by Ragnar Redbeard. Why overcrowd towns and pave more open space to make room for hordes of mestizos and Silicon Valley white twats?” Might is Right, first published in 1890, advocates strongly for egoist anarchism.
The book also insinuates that weakness should be treated with hatred and that women and children are the property of the male head of the household. Some scholars have regarded the book as a satire of Social Darwinism but others consider the book to be a manifesto for white supremacy.
Legan was the grandson of Tom Legan, a former county supervisor and graduate of West Point University. The elder Legan, a veteran of the Korean War, was accused of sexually assaulting his daughter in 1988 but was acquitted on all charges.
Santino Legan was the brother of a noted boxer, Rosino Legan, who was profiled in 2017 for his efforts to curb school tuition costs.
Witnesses described seeing at least one shooting suspect in camouflage carrying a long rifle. Though there were security checkpoints at the festival entrances, authorities said that Legan avoided detection by using a tool to cut through a fence toward the back of the festival grounds, circumventing security screenings. Law enforcement said in a Monday press conference that Legan purchased his rifle legally.
Descriptions of the incident detailed hearing up to 30-40 shots ring out before Police allegedly gunned down Legan.
A manhunt continues for a possible second suspect in the heavily wooded area near the festival grounds. The FBI is now said to be involved in the hunt.
