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
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
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.
Neighbour says John Snowlings was ‘standoffish kind of person'
A neighbour of the Snowlings told the Los Angeles Times that he believed the couple had started to have marital problems because Ms Snowling wanted to go out more often, while her estranged husband preferred to stay at home.
“I think it reached a point where it felt like life was passing her by because he didn’t want to do anything,”James Goldsmith, 68, told the outlet.
“He would barely maintain the house. I think she wanted to have friends and live life and that’s why I think she made the move that she did. It’s sad that he couldn’t allow that and let her live her own life.”
Mr Goldmisth said that Ms Snowling had moved out and now lived with her mother after she filed for divorce in December 2022. Snowling had recently bought a home in Ohio and was spending most of his time there, Mr Goldsmith said.
“John was always kind of a standoffish kind of person,” Mr Goldsmith told the Times. “He wasn’t the most personable guy, not that I can say that there was anything really negative. He wasn’t the type of neighbour that you’d get the warm fuzzies from.”
WATCH: Orange County DA speaks on bar shooting
Victims’ names are released
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has identified the fatal victims as John Leehey, 67, Tonya Clark, 49, and Glen Sprowl, 53.
“We stand in mourning alongside the family and friends of Tonya, John and Glen. We continue to extend our sincerest condolences to all who knew and loved them,” the department said in a statement on Friday.
“These three members of our community were tragically killed Wednesday in a shooting at Cook’s Corner in Trabuco Canyon. Please join us in wishing their loved ones comfort during this extremely difficult time.”
John Snowling opened fire on estranged wife without exchanging any words, witness says
Marie Snowling’s friend Betty Fruichantie told NBC that the two were enjoying a live performance at the popular biker’s bar when the gunman entered the establishment.
“We were sitting there listening to the band and all of sudden, from behind us, we hear shooting. A bunch of shooting,” Ms Fruichantie said. “I thought it was just firecrackers, she didn’t say anything. People were getting shot. People were getting shot.”
Ms Fruichantie said that Ms Snowling had recently filed for divorce and was staying with friends.
Gunman in Cook’s Corner shooting identified as retired police officer John Snowling
The suspected gunman in Wednesday night’s shooting at a biker’s bar in California has been identified as retired police officer John Snowling.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Snowling, a former officer from the City of Ventura, died during a confrontation with law enforcement. Undersheriff Jeff Hallock said he couldn’t confirm whether Snowling was killed by deputies but said it was “safe to assume” so, local news station KTLA reports.
The violence broke out around 7pm at the Cook’s Corner bar. Four people, including the suspected gunman, were killed.
Read more:
Gunman in Cook’s Corner shooting identified as retired police officer John Snowling
John Snowling was a former officer with the City of Ventura Police Department
WATCH: Cook’s Corner shooter lived in Camarillo, California
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 targeted 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 Marie Snowling when he carried out the Thursday attack at Cook’s Corner.
Ms Snowling’s wife was injured but survived the attack, according to her father.
John Snowling, a retired law enforcement officer, was killed during the confrontation.
Three other people died in the carnage, while six others were wounded.
It began like any normal night at historic biker bar Cook’s Corner. It ended with a mass shooting
A regular night at a popular biker bar took a devastating turn when gunfire broke out.
The Independent’s Faiza Saqib reports:
What we know about the Cook’s Corner biker bar shooting
A regular night at a popular biker bar took a devastating turn when gunfire broke out. Faiza Saqib reports
Ventura Police Department offers condolences to families of Cook’s Corner shooting victims
The suspected gunman who opened fire on a crowd at the Cook’s Corner bar on Wednesday night was identified on Thursday as former Ventura police officer John Snowling.
Snowling was employed by the agency from 1984 until his retirement in 2014.
“Our hearts weigh heavy with the distressing incident at Cook’s Corner,” Ventura Police Department Chief Darin Schindler said in a statement following the tragedy.
“Our deepest condolences are with the families of the victims, the survivors, and the Orange County deputies who swiftly responded to the scene. This incident deeply affects us all.”