A clearer picture of the shooter who killed 11 people inside a Thousand Oaks bar has emerged three weeks after the shooting, but authorities still don’t have a motive for the attack.
Ian David Long, 28, a Marine Corps veteran, turned the gun on himself after killing 11 people, including Ventura County sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus, at the Borderline Bar Grill on Nov. 7. The bar had been hosting its weekly a college country music and line dancing night.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The flash of light here is believed to be a flashlight with a laser sight authorities say was used by shooter Ian David Long in the Borderline Bar shooting. (credit: CBS)
Long was armed with just one gun that night – a Glock 21 .45-caliber handgun. But he had seven high-capacity, 30-round magazines on him – a total of 230 bullets. He deployed smoke grenades to create confusion and unleashed over 50 rounds. He also had a flashlight with a laser sight, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said.
“After shooting the victims inside the bar, the suspect positioned himself in preparation for the law enforcement response,” Ayub said. “Sgt. Helus and a CHP officer both entered the bar within minutes, and began searching with their rifles. The suspect ambushed the officers almost immediately from a position of tactical advantage. Both officers returned fire with multiple rounds, however, they did not strike the suspect.”
Helus was hit multiple times by gunfire, and was dragged out of the bar by the CHP officer to wait for backup. The 29-year veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department died at Los Robles Hospital. He had been considering retiring from the force within a year.
The medical examiner said most of the victims were shot at close range, and that all of them had died quickly and could not have survived their wounds. Only one gunshot victim survived. Ayub also revealed that Long had a folding knife with him, and a coroner's official said one victim had been stabbed in the neck, in addition to having several gunshot wounds.
The victims included Alaina Housely, 18, a Pepperdine University freshman and niece of actress Tamera Mowry; 22-year-old Cody Coffman, who was getting ready to join the Army; Justin Meek, 23, a recent Cal Lutheran graduate; Sean Adler, the owner of Rivalry Roasters in Simi Valley; 21-year-old Noel Sparks, a Moorpark College student; Kristina Morisette, 20, who had been working as the cashier at the front door of the bar that night; Jake Dunham, 21, of Newbury Park; his friend 21-year-old Blake Dingman; Telemachus Orfanos, 27, who had just survived the Las Vegas mass shooting a year ago; and 33-year-old Daniel Manrique, a Marine Corps veteran who was helping veterans adjust to civilian life.
Authorities say they still have no motive for the shooting but have ruled out that he was targeting his former girlfriend as was previously thought to be a motive. They also ruled out him being a former employee although he was an occasional customer.
Subject: New details revealed in Borderline Bar and Grill Shooting 
Tue Nov 27, 2018 9:22 pm
