Tightened security at Fremont's Festival of the Arts after Gilroy shooting

Lisa Amin Gulezian Image
ByLisa Amin Gulezian KGO logo
Friday, August 2, 2019
Tightened security at Fremont's Festival of the Arts after Gilroy shooting
Fremont Festival of the Arts director says they now have an "unprecedented level of security" in the wake of the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting.

FREMONT, Calif. (KGO) -- Finishing touches for this weekend's Festival of the Arts in Fremont also include security plans. The festival director said, "We have pretty much an unprecedented level of security at our festival."

Cindy Bonior is confident that this event will be safe.

RELATED: Santa Clara Co. Fair opens with increased security after fatal shooting at Gilroy Garlic Festival

SKY7 was there as security cameras were installed on Paseo Padre Parkway Thursday. And soon steel barricades and a police watchtower will go up.

Because of the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, security is even tighter.

Bonior said, "The police in response to that have added on uniformed SWAT team members in the crowds, they've changed their level of firearms they'll be carrying and there'll just be more police officers out there."

Fremont resident Masih Hamidi said, "I wouldn't expect it to happen again. It was like a one-time thing."

RELATED: Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting survivors share harrowing tale after being released from hospital

Festival-goers have mixed reactions to attending. Christina Lee isn't sure if she wants to take her family.

"It being so close it makes you more aware of what you have to do."

A lot of preparation is taking place until the festival opens on Saturday. This is its 36th year, 380,000 people are expected to attend and 1,000 vendors.

Humberto Mireles is one of them. He was shot at during the Gilroy Garlic Festival but wasn't hurt. He'll be at Fremont's festival, though he's still shaken.

RELATED: Gilroy Shooting: Police find 16th person injured during shooting

"You feel safe but then you still have in the back of your mind the what if, what if somebody cuts through the line of security, what if this what if that?"

He considers Fremont's Festival the safest around.