LOS ANGELES _ Police were responding Sunday to reports of an active shooting at the famed Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California, leaving an unknown number of casualties and sending terrified visitors running for their lives.
Authorities said the scene was still active, with dozens of officers from around the region on the scene. President Donald Trump said on Twitter that "reports are that shooter has not yet been apprehended. Be careful and safe!"
Witnesses reported hearing multiple rounds fired and that some people were down on the ground. Others said the gunman was armed with a rifle and was dressed in some kind of vest and camouflage fatigues.
Officials reported that three air ambulances were sent to the scene. A medical center in San Jose said it was receiving at least five patients.
Taylor Pellegrini, 25, said she was sitting on a bench near the food court with her boyfriend and two friends when she heard what sounded like firecrackers. When the pops continued and people started running, she realized they were in danger.
"People were yelling 'active shooter, active shooter,' and some people tripped and stayed on the ground so bullets didn't hit them," she said. "People were under tables and dropping their phones and whatever they had in their hands."
Pellegrini, who lives in Hollister, was able to get out quickly because she and her friends were close to the exit. As they walked to the nearby home of a friend, where they'd parked, they saw police officers racing through the streets.
Pellegrini said security seemed weak at the festival. Her bag was checked at the entrance, she said, but one of her friend's was not.
"I feel really scared," said Pellegrini, who favors the festival for its rich food and music. "It makes me not want to go anywhere anymore."
Videos from the scene showed people running and screaming.
"Please pray everyone. Random shooters started shooting everywhere," one person tweeted. "One boy is dead so far and others injured. We're still waiting while they find them."
Ambulance crews were told 11 people were down in an active shooter incident at Gilroy's Christmas Hill Park, NBC Bay Area reported. Local media reported at least several injuries. The Los Angeles Times could not confirm those reports.
There were also several reports on social media about multiple injuries.
"Scariest moments of my life at the Gilroy garlic festival," one person tweeted. "I hope everyone made it out okay."
Another witness, Julissa Contreras, told the NBC TV station that she saw a white man in his early to mid-30s firing a rifle that was "able to shoot three to four shots a second."
"It was just rapid firing," she said. "I could see him shooting in just every direction. He wasn't aiming at anyone specifically. It was just left to right, right to left. ... He definitely was prepared for what he was doing."
Founded in 1979, the Gilroy Garlic Festival bills itself as "the world's greatest summer food festival." The three-day event, held at Christmas Hill Park in the town southeast of San Jose, is hosted by community volunteers and raises money for local schools, charities and nonprofit organizations.
The festival attracts tens of thousands of people every year to the Santa Clara County town of 48,000.
Gilroy police said on Twitter: "The hearts of Gilroy PD and entire community go out to the victims of today's shooting at the Garlic Festival. The scene is still active. If you are looking for a loved one, please go to the reunification center at Gavilan College at parking lot B."
Police set up a witness and family reunification line at (408) 846-0583.
