Coroner: Gilroy festival shooter killed himself after being shot multiple times by officers
Police descend on the Gilroy Garlic Festival where a gunman killed three and injured a dozen others. July 29, 2019
GILROY, Calif. - The Santa Clara County coroner's office announced Friday the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head consistent with suicide, contradicting the Gilroy police department's statements to date that officers fired the fatal shot.
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"The shooting occurred, our officers ran to the area. They engaged the suspect. The suspect immediately changed his fire from the crowd towards the officers, as they were engaging in gunfire our officers did fire multiple rounds at the suspect. I do know that the suspect was hit multiple times," said Gilroy police Chief Scot Smithee during a Friday afternoon press conference.
Santino William Legan, 19, shot and killed three people, including two children, Sunday at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Thirteen others were wounded. Authorities have not been able to determine his motive.
A spokesperson with the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office, told KTVU on Friday that Legan's cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee had previously said Legan was shot and killed by three officers who had responded in less than a minute. Smithee has called the officers "heroes" for preventing additional casualties by taking down the shooter.
"In my mind it changes nothing. The officers got there fast, they engaged him fast, they drew his fire, they eliminated the threat. Whether he fired that final shot or not, in my mind, changes nothing," Smithee said Friday afternoon.
Authorities arrested a man earlier this week on suspicion of making threats online that apparently referenced the deadly shooting.
Jose Pinon, 40, of Gilroy posted Wednesday on Facebook that "my goal is to kill 500, not three."
Gilroy police Capt. Joseph Deras said officials did not seize any weapons from Pinon's home Thursday and do not believe he was planning an attack.
A 22-year-old man, whom police did not identify, posted on Facebook soon after the shooting that he had participated -- prompting a SWAT response to his Gilroy home.
The 22-year-old man was arrested on unrelated warrants but police did not charge him in connection with his Facebook post because authorities did not believe he had any "criminal intent," Deras said.
Officials say their investigation has not shown that anyone else was involved.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.