12 Killed in Mass Shooting at Southern California Bar

The shooting took place at Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, roughly 40 miles from Downtown Los Angeles.

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12 people were killed in a mass shooting at a restaurant and bar in Thousand Oaks, California late Wednesday night.

The shooting occurred at the Borderline Bar & Grill roughly 40 miles outside of Los Angeles, per a report from the Los Angeles Times. The suspected shooter has been identified by Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean as 28-year-old Ian David Long, a Marine veteran who had issues with the law in the past.

"Tonight at 11:20 p.m., [911] received multiple calls of shots being fired at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks," Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean told reporters. "Our first sheriff's unit arrived on scene three minutes later. There was also two highway patrol officers on scene who had been on a local traffic stop, heard the traffic, then stopped right away. Approximately three minutes later, a highway patrol officer and a sheriff's sergeant made entry into the Borderline because they heard shots being fired and felt there might be additional victims inside."

Upon entering the Borderline, Dean said, the sergeant was hit "multiple times" with gunfire from Long. "The highway patrol officer stepped back and secured the perimeter until additional units arrived and he rescued the sheriff's sergeant out of the line of gunfire," Dean said. "When additional units arrived . . . they made entry into the Borderline Bar & Grill. They found 11 victims that had been killed. The suspect, who believe was the only suspect, was dead inside."

Ventura County Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus has been confirmed as being among those killed during the shooting. There are "multiple other victims" of "different levels of injury" who were transported to local hospitals. The FBI is also involved with the on-site investigation.

Police have been in contact with Long over the years, and Sherriff Dean said Long had been "acting a little irrationally" when officers went to his home in April for a complaint of disturbing the peace. According to the Times, Long may have suffered from PTSD, and he'd been evaluated by mental health professionals earlier this year. 

He reportedly used smoke devices in the bar before firing at patrons.

At the time of the shooting, Long wore all black, covering his face with bandana. According to authorities, he used a Glock 21 handgun with an extended magazine, which is illegal in California, killing 12 and injuring more than a dozen others. Officers do not think he targeted Borderline Bar & Grill for any specific reason. After attacking patrons of the club, he was found dead in the office from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The night of the shooting, the bar was hosting its regular “College Country Nights," an 18+ event for students. It is considered a "a hub for country music fans," and some of those present on Wednesday night were reportedly also survivors of the mass shooting at Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas last year. That shooting continues to be the deadliest in U.S. history, leaving 58 dead. 

According to the Associated Press, dozens of survivors fled out of the bar after smashing windows with barstools. Other hid in the attic or bathrooms while attempting to call 911 and loved ones. 

This shooting is the deadliest since the Parkland, Florida massacre in February that left 17 dead. It also follows the shooting in Pittsburgh less than two weeks ago where 11 people were gunned down in a local synagogue. 

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