Stephen Ellison

Gilroy Park Reopens for First Time Since Garlic Festival Mass Shooting

City officials held a moment of silence honoring victims

Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy, California, reopened to the public Tuesday for the first time since a mass shooting left three people dead and 17 injured on July 28, the final day of the Garlic Festival.

As part of the 8 a.m. reopening, city officials held a moment of silence at 10:30 a.m. at a temporary memorial underneath the large palm tree on the northeast section of the Ranch Side of the park. The community was invited to participate in the moment of silence for the victims of the shooting.

The shooting occurred just as the Garlic Festival was wrapping up its three-day run on a Sunday evening. A gunman entered the grounds by breaking through a fence then opened fire, killing three young people and wounding 17 others before police officers shot and wounded him. He ultimately turned his gun on himself. A social media account connected to him had shared racist and anti-Semitic propaganda before the attack, NBC News reported.

Stephen Romero, 6; Keyla Salazar, 13; and Trevor Irby, 25 were killed by the gunman.

With the reopening, Miller Road and park trails will open for public access, but activity on the grass throughout the park will be limited to allow newly planted seed to establish, the city said.

For information about existing or pending park reservations or recreational classes normally held at the park, contact the city’s Recreation Department at 408-846-0460.

Contact Us