California shooting: First victims named from Thousand Oaks bar massacre police identify gunman as Ian David Long
Twelve victims gunned down include Justin Meek, 23, Alaina Housley, 18, Cody Coffman, 22 and Sheriff's Sergeant Ron Helus
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Your support makes all the difference.Details are emerging of the identities of victims after at least 12 people were killed and around a dozen more injured in a mass shooting at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California.
The shooting began late Wednesday night in the Borderline Bar & Grill, sending people diving under pool tables and other furniture for cover. Witnesses and victims said that stools were thrown through windows to enable bar patrons to get away from the hail of bullets.
A college country music night was underway when the gunman - dressed in black - shot a security guard who was standing outside the bar before entering. Witnesses suggested a smoke grenade may have been thrown.
Officials identified Ian David Long, of nearby Newbury Park, California, as the suspected shooter. Long was killed at the bar, and police said he carried out the massacre with a legal .45-calibre handgun that he had fitted with an extended magazine illegal in California. He had apparently shot himself.
Police first began identifying victims of the Thousand Oaks attack less than 12 hours after the gunman’s last shot rang out, including Sergeant Ron Helus, a 29-year veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. In a press conference on Thursday, Mr Dean praised the work of his office — including the sacrifice from Mr Helus — for working fast in response to the shooting at the packed college night bar. At least five off-duty law enforcement officers helped to protect people.
Cody Coffman, 22, was also killed, according to his father Jason. Mr Coffman broke down as he told reporters how his last words to his son as he went out that night were not to drink and drive and that he loved him. He added: “Oh Cody, I love you son.”
The family of 23-year-old Justin Meek said he was also killed, according to California Lutheran University President Chris Kimball, who said in a statement that Mr Meek ”heroically saved lives”.
Another victim, Alaina Housley was just 18, and was a promising student at Pepperdine University with plans to study law, her family said.
Other victims include Noel Sparks who was a youth camp leader and Moorpark College student. The death was announced by United Methodist Church Westlake Village. "It is with heavy hearts that we notify you that Noel Sparks was among the victims of last night's shooting. We grieve with Tony Sparks and Wendy Anderson," the church said in a statement.
Daniel Manrique, 33, was a Marine veteran and focused on helping other veterans adjust to civilian life, according to friends. “I have no doubt that he died a hero, shielding others from gunshots. He will forever be our hero, son, brother, and the best uncle anybody could ever ask for,” Gladys Manrique Kosack, a family member said.
Telemachus Orfanos was identified by his mother who said the he had survived the mass shooting in Las Vegas last year. Jake Dunham and Blake Dingman, both 21, were identified by local Los Angeles outlet ABC7.
Sean Adler, a bouncer at the bar and former wrestling coach at Simi Valley High School, perished in the California shooting and was remembered by the local wrestling community.
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A survivor of the bar shooting has said the gunman was wearing a black hoodie and holding a handgun as he opened fire.
Cole Knapp is a student at Moorpark College and was inside the Borderline Bar & Grill when the shooting began.
He said he tried to get as many people to cover as he could. He said he fled through an exit door to a closed patio where he told people "everybody get over the fence as quickly as you can," and followed them over.
Then he said he found a highway patrol officer nearby who just happened to pull someone over, and he screamed to him, "there's a shooter in there!"
Mr Knapp said the officer "was kind of in disbelief," then saw he was serious. He said he has friends who who have not been accounted for.
Representative Jim Himes, whose home state of Connecticut endured the deadly Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, has attacked the lack of action on gun control after hearing about the mass shooting in California.
He told CNN: "I’m embarrassed to say ... my first thought was, ‘here we go again, it’s this week’s mass shooting,' and that’s a really hard way to think about this. I contrast where we are today with how we all felt about Sandy Hook."
Here is some more from Mr Himes:
"This is a weekly thing (and) even though it's become a weekly thing, nobody does anything, especially the Congress where I work," he said.
"35,000 Americans dead a year as a result of gun violence and Congress can't even find its way to studying the problem".
Another survivor has spoken about fleeing the bar and finding a nearby apartment block to shelter in.
"I heard what I thought was a balloon pop," 21-year-old Taylor von Molt told CNN.
"I was confused because we didn’t have any balloons at the time... I turned around and saw him fire his weapon a couple of times and I ran to the nearest exit and tripped and fell on the way."
Parents are waiting outside the bar for word on their children, as the scene is investigated:
Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker has been briefed on the shooting, the Justice Department has said.
Mr Whitaker is replacing Jeff Sessions who has been forced out by President Trump
Captain Garo Kuredjian of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office has been speaking about the death of sheriff's sergeant Ron Helus:
“He is absolutely a hero. He leaves behind a wife and a son, he was a 54-year-old resident of Moore Park, he epitomized what a cop does, he was a cop’s cop," Mr Kuredjian told local outlet KABC. "When he heard the gunfire he ran in, he ran in and no doubt saved others from being victimized. A young man who was inside the club came up to me and said, ‘You know what? He saved additional people from being victims.’ That’s what cops do. That’s what he did.”
An outpouring of grief has been expressed after news arrived that Ron Helus, a sheriff's sergeant, was killed in the California mass shooting.
Residents of the California suburb remembered him online as a "hero" who died while attempting to protect others during the tragedy.
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