The man responsible for the mass shooting at Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California has now been identified:
BREAKING: Calif. bar mass shooting suspect identified as Ian Long, 29, several law enforcement officials tell @NBCNews - @PeteWilliamsNBC https://t.co/fIhICvhhYt
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) November 8, 2018
His name is David Ian Long and he’s reportedly a 29-year-old white male who went by the name ‘Ian’. I don’t have a picture of the shooter to show you yet.
According to Campus Sports he used a 45-caliber legally purchased firearm when killing at least 12 people, possibly 13.
Here’s what we know via CNN:
The first call of shots fired came in to police Wednesday around 11:20 p.m. PT (2:20 a.m. ET, Thursday), Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean and a department spokesman said.
The gunman shot a bouncer or security guard outside and forced his way into the bar, witnesses said. The gunman also shot a young woman working at the counter just inside the door, several witnesses said.
“I see that girl every single time I’m there,” witness Holden Harrah told CNN, fighting back tears. “I don’t know her name, but (she) is someone I make small contact with and I say hi every time.”
Officers arrived on the scene 2 to 3 minutes after the initial call to law enforcement as shots continued to ring out, Dean said.
A few minutes later, Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus and a California Highway Patrol officer entered the bar after hearing shots, Dean said.
As they entered through the front door, Helus was hit by multiple bullets, Dean said. The highway patrol officer stepped back, pulled Helus from the line of fire and secured his post until more officers arrived.
The shooter, using a short-barreled handgun, wore a black trench coat and eyeglasses and had a black beard, witnesses said.
The shooter was found dead at the scene, officials said. It’s not yet clear whether he shot himself or was killed by police.
Authorities believe they have identified the suspect, a law enforcement source told CNN midmorning Thursday. The suspect is believed to be 29 years old, the source said, cautioning that the investigation is still in its early stages.
“We don’t know anything about him yet,” Dean had said earlier Thursday.
Identifying the suspect and determining a motive is “priority one” for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, spokesman Cpt. Garo Kuredjian told CNN affiliate KABC.
Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks is a western-themed establishment known to regularly host country, salsa and swing dancing nights.
The venue was hosting a college country night from 9 p.m. PT on Wednesday to 2 a.m. on Thursday when the shooting occurred, according to its website. Hundreds of people were estimated to have attended.
The bar is a few miles from California Lutheran University and is a popular spot for students. Some students from California Lutheran and nearby Pepperdine University are believed to have been at Wednesday night’s event.
One of the dead was a police officer named Sergeant Ron Helus:
Ron Helus, the sergeant who confronted the Calif. bar mass shooter, died a hero, sheriff says: "He was willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of others.” https://t.co/O5vkKhvLjq pic.twitter.com/z2ffthPiW5
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 8, 2018
So horrible.
UPDATE:
Police now say Long shot himself after killing 11 people:
#BREAKING: @NBCNews confimrs @borderlinebar shooter is 29 yr old Ian Long from Ventura Co.. Police say Long shot himself after shooting inside the bar killing 11 people. Police said Long was “heavily tattooed,” & had a weapon on him. Fingerprints were used to ID shooter.
— Daniella Guzman (@DaniellaNBCLA) November 8, 2018
UPDATE 2:
Apparently Long is known to police…
Police: Shooter is Ian David Long. 28 years old. Police have been involved with him in recent years. #ThousandOaksShooting
— Alex Miller (@AlexMillerNews) November 8, 2018
And he used a Glock 21 with an extended magazine:
Sherrif: Other victims not ID'ed at this time, but shooter has been identified as Ian David Long. Weapon used was a Glock 21 handgun with an extended magazine. "We don't know how many rounds were in the weapon. ... Witnesses still being interviewed."
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) November 8, 2018
Shooter at @Borderlinebar is identified as Ian David Long, 28. The weapon was a Glock 21- 45-caliber handgun. It had an extended magazine on it. #BorderlineBar #massshooting
— Craig Fiegener (@CraigNews3LV) November 8, 2018
It’s also being reported that Long was a Military Vet:
Police in California have named 28 year old David Ian Long as the man who killed at least 12 people in a bar. They say he is a military veteran who was known to police. No insight into motive.
— Stephanie March (@steph_march) November 8, 2018
#BorderlineBarandGrill shooter identified as 28 year old Ian David Long. He was a former Marine. Authorities believe he killed himself because by the time they got inside the bar he was already dead @wachfox
— Fraendy Clervaud (@FraendyNewsman) November 8, 2018
And he may have suffered from PTSD:
Thousand Oaks, CA gunman Ian David Long served in the USMC and police had speculated he suffered from PTSD after prior interactions with him. Long was found dead inside an office in the bar, along with his 12 deceased victims
— Aaron Katersky (@AaronKatersky) November 8, 2018
Officers are outside the home of suspected #BorderlineBarGrill gunman David Ian Long waiting to obtain search warrant. Long shared the home w mother. Neighbor says he was a vet that suffered from #PTSD pic.twitter.com/cB6pXRxHeG
— Tim Conway Jr Show (@ConwayShow) November 8, 2018
#BREAKING Thousand Oaks massacre suspect Ian David Long was veteran with PTSD, Newbury Park neighbor says https://t.co/1zZBN2nXZ5 pic.twitter.com/6uLFzbqbBN
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) November 8, 2018
UPDATE 3:
Woman who was celebrating her 21st birthday at Thousand Oaks bar where shooting broke out: "There were multiple men that got on their knees and pretty much blocked all of us…ready to take a bullet for any single one of us." https://t.co/109XGLelzj pic.twitter.com/6BbeE2XkfE
— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 8, 2018
UPDATE 4:
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1060569826941374465