GILROY, Calif. (AP) — The Santa Clara County coroner’s office says the gunman in the deadly Northern California festival shooting killed himself, a finding that contradicts earlier police accounts that officers fired the fatal shot.
Santino William Legan, 19, shot and killed three people — including two children — Sunday at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.
Nicole Lopez, a senior office specialist in the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office, says Friday that Legan’s cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Police Chief still commends his officer’s quick response at the festival.
“In my mind it changes nothing. You know the officers still got there fast. They engaged him fast. They drew his fire and they eliminated the threat. Whether he fired that final shot or not in my mind changes nothing.”
Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee had previously said Legan was shot and killed by three officers who responded in less than a minute. Smithee has called the officers “heroes” for preventing additional casualties by taking down the shooter.
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(This story was originally published on August 2, 2019)