Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting victims to file lawsuit

Attorneys say “negligent security measures” resulted in deaths of 3, injuries to 14

SAN FRANCISCO – Attorneys on Tuesday plan to file a lawsuit against the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association on behalf of five victims of a mass shooting at the annual event in late July.

In a media advisory late Monday night, the San Francisco-based Scarlett Law Group said “negligent security measures” led to the shooting that killed three people and injured 14 others.

Additional details about the suit were not immediately available. A news conference announcing the filing of the suit is scheduled to take place in San Francisco on Tuesday.

In the wake of the July 28 shooting, authorities said the suspect — Santino Legan, 19, of Gilroy — cut through a perimeter fence to gain access to the festival at Christmas Hill Park.

Legan fired 39 rounds from a semi-automatic rifle, fatally wounding 6-year-old Stephen Romero, 13-year-old Keyla Salazar and 25-year-old Trevor Irby, authorities said. Legan died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound as Gilroy officers rushed to confront him.

The FBI has since opened a domestic terrorism case and is continuing to investigate the shooting. Although authorities discovered a “target list” containing religious institutions, courthouses and other sites, they say they have not determined Legan’s motive.

Check back for updates.