‘GROSSLY DEFICIENT’

Gilroy Garlic Festival Shooting Victims File Lawsuit

Five individuals claim the California festival had “negligent security measures.”

Five individuals who were injured in a shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival earlier this year filed a lawsuit against the festival on Tuesday. Victims Wendy Towner, Francisco Aguilera, Nick McFarland, Justin Bates, and Brynn Ota-Matthews alleged that the California festival had “negligent security measures” that permitted the gunman to enter the grounds in July, according to their attorneys. The lawsuit—which also names a security firm and a number of unknown defendants—claims the festival had “grossly deficient” security and not enough security personnel present. They also said an active shooter should have been a considered a “foreseeable” risk by the festival, and organizers should have performed a security audit of the venue. “I initiated this lawsuit because the many victims and I will likely have long-term health problems due to our injuries and I don’t want to see this happen to anyone else,” Towner said in a statement. "People who promote big events like the Garlic Festival must protect their volunteers, vendors and visitors.”

Accused gunman Santino William Legan was able to get past festival security with an AK-47 assault rifle and multiple high-capacity magazines before injuring fifteen and killing three, including a six-year-old. Legan was killed by police shortly after they responded to the scene.

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Julia ArcigaReporter

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