Cook’s Corner shooting - latest: Victims are named as ex-cop suspect John Snowling’s divorce details emerge
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office identified the gunman as retired Ventura Police sergeant John Snowling, 59
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At least four people have been killed and others are being treated for gunshot wounds after a mass shooting at a popular bikers’ bar in California’s Orange County.
The Orange County sheriff said those killed included the suspected gunman, identified by The Orange County Sheriff’s Department as John Snowling, 59.
Three people died and six others were injured before Snowling was killed by law enforcement. The fatal victims have been identified as John Leehey, 67, Tonya Clark, 49, and Glen Sprowl, 53.
The incident began with a domestic dispute between the gunman and his wife. Snowling, a retired law enforcement officer with the Ventura Police Department, opened fire on his wife Marie Snowling and her dining companion.
Sheriff Don Barnes said on Thursday that Snowling then continued shooting indiscriminately. A man who approached Snwoling as the gunman retrieved more weapons from his vehicle was fatally shot.
Ms Snowling had filed for divorce in December 2022, according to The Los Angeles Times. A neighbour of the couple told the outlet she had moved in with her ailing mother while Snowling was spending most of his time in Ohio, where he owned a property.
Press conference begins
Orange County police call it a “very difficult night” and said deputies arrived on the scene “very quickly”.
Police say that they want to remind everyone that they are just three hours from the time the shooting occurred and they have a number of victims and they are interviewing witnesses.
Police are working with 30-40 witnesses.
“It is a complex and detailed scene,” an officer said.
One weapon recovered from the scene, police say
Orange County undersheriff Jeff Hallock said one weapon has been recovered from the scene.
The officers gave little new details about the shooting and said the investigation is ongoing.
Providing an initial timeline, they said police received multiple 911 calls at 7.04pm and two minutes later deputies arrived at the scene, with gunshots being heard in the background by dispatchers.
At 7.08pm a deputy confronted the shooter, which led to a deputy–involved shooting involving multiple deputies.
The undersheriff said it was too early to confirm when he was asked if the shooting ensued after a domestic dispute.
Police say tragic event ‘weighing very heavy’ on Trabuco Canyon community
Orange County Undersheriff Jeff Hallock said officers arrived two minutes after the 911 calls.
“At that point, a deputy-involved shooting occurred and that involved multiple deputies,” he said.
“It’s an absolute tragic event and something that I know is probably weighing very heavy on the entire Trabuco Canyon community. Cook’s Corner, it’s a staple here,” Undersheriff Hallock said.
465 mass shootings in US this year so far
So far this year, the US has witnessed at least 465 mass shootings, according to the nonprofit group Gun Violence Archive.
The US crossed 400 shootings mark in July, the earliest ever recorded in a year since 2013, it said.
Estranged wife of suspect against dead - report
The wife of the suspect shooter was among those who were killed in the shooting on late Wednesday at Cook’s Corner in rural Trabuco Canyon in Orange County.
A law enforcement official, who was not authorised to speak due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, said the suspect was targeting his wife, who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the New York Times.
The suspect, who was shot dead in a confrontation with the deputies is said to be a retired police officer at an agency elsewhere in Southern California.
Suspected shooter was retired law enforcement officer
According to initial reports, a retired law enforcement officer opened fire at the biker’s cafe called Cook’s Corner.
The gunman has been shot dead by deputies who responded to the scene, local TV station KCAL News reported, and is among the death toll of four.
There were “multiple victims” and the injured were being taken to hospital with gunshot wounds, the Orange Country Sheriff said in an earlier post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Survivor claims shooter spared pregnant woman’s life
A man who survived the shooting on Wednesday night told CBS that he barricaded himself in the kitchen until the shooting ended.
The man also said he heard a woman pleading for her life, reportedly telling the shooter: “Please don’t shoot me, I’m 5 months pregnant.”
The suspected shooter, believed to be former law enforcement, allegedly told her: “Get out of here”
Suspected shooter was targeting estranged wife, official says
A law enforcement official who spoke about the shooting under the condition of anonymity told The New York Times that the suspected gunman was targeting his wife when he carried out the Thursday attack at Cook’s Corner.
His wife was among the dead on Thursday. The suspect, a retired law enforcement officer, was also killed by police.
Two other people died in the carnage, while six others were wounded.
John Snowling identified as shooting suspect
The shooting suspect who was killed after gunning down nine people - three fatally - has been identified as former police officer John Snowling, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Citing police sources, the outlet said Snowling was a retired sergeant with the Ventura Police Department.
Snowling’s wife was said to be among the shooting victims.
Cook’s Corner was hosting ‘Spaghetti night’ when shooting unfolded
Cook’s Corner is a popular, longtime watering hole for the biker community in Southern California.
Many motorcycle riders and enthusiasts gather there on weeknights and during the weekend for live music, open-mic nights or just a cold beer after a long ride.
The biker bar was hosting its usual “spaghetti night” when violence broke out on Wednesday night.