What You Need to Know: Gilroy Garlic Festival Victims’ Services Resources and Property Recovery Info

Local officials are encouraging anyone who witnessed the mass shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on Sunday to drop by a temporary resource center in town to receive anything from counseling referrals and help filing victims’ compensation claims to information about recovering property left at the scene.

The Santa Clara County DA’s Office’s Victim Services Unit, in partnership with the county’s Behavioral Health Services, the American Red Cross and several agencies from neighboring counties is operating a temporary Family Assistance Center (FAC) at Rucker Elementary School in Gilroy to assist anyone affected by the shootings at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

“If any person was present or suffered any trauma, they should come to the family services center,” said Josue Fuentes, deputy district attorney for Santa Clara County, who estimates that roughly 250 people have already shown up for help since the center opened on Monday. “This is where every[thing] is housed.”

FAC services include:

Grief counseling and emotional support Help filing claims through the California Victim Compensation Board, a state agency that helps cover the cost of medical bills and other related expenses for victims of violent crime. Referrals to agencies and providers for medical services, counseling and other resources. Access to FBI staff for help retrieving any valuable belongings that were abandoned at the crime scene, including anything from phones and purses to vendor equipment and vehicles (more on that below). Free on-site child care Therapy dogs Donated food from Starbucks and Denny’s If transportation is needed, call the center to arrange a ride

Address:

Rucker Elementary School 325 Santa Clara Ave. Gilroy, CA 95020 408-209-8356

FAC hours:

Thurs. Aug. 1 – Fri. Aug. 2: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sat., Aug. 3 – Sun., Aug. 4: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Who’s considered a victim?

“Some people don’t realize that they may be affected by the trauma that they saw or were around,” said Adam Flores, also a deputy DA for Santa Clara County. “So that’s why we want them to come here.”

Victims include anyone who experienced the shooting, he said, not just those who were physically injured or lost a family member. His office has also emphasized that it does not care about anyone’s immigration status, and will not ask any questions related to that.

“The people in Gilroy and this community are strong and resilient. But many of them could use some help,” Santa Clara County DA Jeff Rosen told reporters on Tuesday. “And that might be information. That might be a cooler or a jacket that they left behind during the chaos of this shooting. It could be help filling out forms for different kinds of assistance. And that’s why we’re here.”

Property-recovery information

Gilroy Garlic Festival map, showing ranch-side and park-side areas. (Courtesy of Gilroy Police Department)

“At this point, it’s going to get a little complicated, so bear with me,” said Josue Fuentes, the deputy DA.

The festival grounds, he said, are divided into two areas called the Park Side and Ranch Side. Any festival attendees who left personal property on the Park Side can come to the FAC to retrieve it, he said. Vendors who had booths on the Park Side will be contacted directly by festival organizers and be given a specific time and location to retrieve all property.

However, as of Thurs., Aug. 1, the Ranch Side is still a “frozen” crime scene under FBI control, Fuentes said. That means that nobody can yet reclaim any property from that area.

It remains unclear when the Ranch Side will reopen, he added.

“It’s a fluid situation. This could change at any moment,” he said.

Those with property on the Ranch Side, he said, are encouraged to come to the FAC to give a description of their property, which may help expedite the release of it when the area reopens.

Additional compensation fund

The Gilroy Foundation, a community philanthropy, this week created a fund to help victims of the shooting. Within 24 hours, the fund had already raised close to $50,000, said Donna Pray, the foundation’s executive director.

“We’ve never done disasters,” she said. “This is our first time. It’s new, uncharted territory for us.”

Pray said her group is currently determining how best to dole out the funds, but expects that they will be used primarily for victims’ uncovered expenses, such as medical insurance, co-pays and mortuary fees. Once the application process is formalized, applicants will be asked to explain what they need help paying for. The foundation is also holding local fundraisers for victims throughout this week.

For more information, contact the Gilroy Foundation:

408-842-3727

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

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