(CNN) Three veteran officers who quickly responded to the mass shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in northern California on Sunday are "heroes," the city's police chief said.

Chief Scot Smithee on Thursday identified the officers as Eric Cryar, a 23-year law enforcement veteran; Hugo Del Moral, a 17-year veteran and Robert Basuino, a 13-year veteran of the Gilroy department.

The three officers who were already on the scene killed the gunman, who shot dead three people and injured more than a dozen others at the festival on Sunday.

Smithee described his officers as "incredibly humble."

"I think they're heroes. I don't think they view themselves that way," Smithee said. "I think they view themselves that they were just doing their job."

Read More