At Least Four People Killed in Shootings at Festivals in California and New York

At Least Four People Killed in Shootings at Festivals in California and New York

The Gilroy, California police chief credited his department’s robust security operation with stopping the shooter in his tracks.

This past weekend featured a far-too common sight in American life: two deadly mass shootings, this time at family-friendly festivals held in California and New York.

In northern California, attendees were enjoying the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival on Sunday when a man wearing tactical gear began shooting indiscriminately at festival-goers. At least three people were killed, including two young children, and 12 others were left wounded. The main suspect was shot and killed by police at the scene.

“It's sort of a nightmare you hope you never have to live in reality," Gilroy police chief Scot Smithee said at a news conference, according to NBC News.

Police officers were present for the duration of the three-day event, allowing the officers to quickly engage the suspect within a minute of shots being fired.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of the officers for being able to engage this guy as quickly as they did,” Smithee said. “It could have gone so much worse so fast.”

Law enforcement officials in Gilroy believe a second person could have been involved in the shooting, CNN reported. Smithee said they believe that the suspects cut through a fence by a nearby creek to gain access to the fairgrounds. There were no posted security cameras at the event, he added.

Festivalgoers in New York City faced a similarly terrifying situation on Saturday night, when one person was shot and killed at a Brooklyn park as the 56th annual Old Timers Day event was wrapping up its festivities.

At least two gunmen opened fire on a crowd gathered near a playground, wounding 11 people and killing one 38-year-old man, The New York Times reported. Police were investigating whether the shooting was related to a gang dispute, particularly because the victim was believed to be a Bloods gang member.

More than 100 police officers were on duty at the event when the shots were fired into a crowd of about 2,000 in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood, according to the Times. Police were not sure if the wounded people were targets of the shooting or just caught in the crossfire.

At a news conference on Sunday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would increase funding to gun violence prevention programs within the city.

“I want to make really clear, this tragedy does not define Brownsville, does not define the people of Brownsville, does not define what’s happening on the ground in a community that has worked so hard and come so far,” de Blasio said.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Integration Imagination: The Future of Connected Operations

    Security teams that collaborate cross-functionally and apply imagination and creativity to envision and design their ideal integrated ecosystem will have the biggest upside to corporate security and operational benefits. Read Now

  • Smarter Access Starts with Flexibility

    Today’s workplaces are undergoing a rapid evolution, driven by hybrid work models, emerging smart technologies, and flexible work schedules. To keep pace with growing workplace demands, buildings are becoming more dynamic – capable of adapting to how people move, work, and interact in real-time. Read Now

  • Trends Keeping an Eye on Business Decisions

    Today, AI continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. AI and the cloud together are redefining how video surveillance systems are being used to simulate human intelligence by combining data analysis, prediction, and process automation with minimal human intervention. Many organizations are upgrading their surveillance systems to reap the benefits of technologies like AI and cloud applications. Read Now

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

  • Right-Wing Activist Charlie Kirk Dies After Utah Valley University Shooting

    Charlie Kirk, a popular conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, died Wednesday after being shot during an on-campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah Read Now

New Products

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.