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Ian David Long has been identified as the suspect who open-fired on a crowd inside of Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California located in Ventura County. The suspect allegedly entered the venue dressed in all black before throwing smoke grenades into the crowd and firing off dozens of rounds with a his weapon. NBC News reported the news from law enforcement officials.
Long, a 28-year-old veteran of the United States Marine Corps and lived in Newbury Park, used a Glock-21 .45 caliber handgun with an extended magazine which was legally purchased, according to Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean.
He had met with mental health specialist after deputies found him “irate, acting a little irrationally” earlier this year, according to ABC 7 News – WJLA.
A motive is unclear.
“This guy just came out of nowhere and came out with a gun and shot people,” a witness told CNN.
At least 12 victims were fatally shot in the gunfire, while multiple other injuries were reported.
Among the fatalities are Ventura County Sheriff’s Sargeant Ron Helus, a 29-year-old veteran of the department who was a year away from retirement. Helus was one of the first to confront the shooter before dying from injuries in the hospital an hour later.
The gunman was also found dead after the rampage.
At the time of the shooting, at least “100-130 people” were inside of the bar enjoying a night of dancing.
Where Is Borderline Bar & Grill?
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Borderline Bar & Grill is located in Thousand Oaks, California, which is in Ventura County in Southern California. The award-winning bar has been open in Thousand Oaks since 1993 after initially opening its doors in the late 80’s in Malibu. Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County.
It was “College Night” at the bar when the shooting occurred. Students from California Lutheran University and Pepperdine University were reportedly in the venue when shots broke out.
On Wednesday nights, the bar opens its doors to anyone 18 and older for a night of dancing.
Borderline Bar & Grill is a country-themed bar that is known for it’s large dance floor, according to ABC News.
“With over 2,500 square feet of wide open dance floor, Borderline has provided a haven for country line dancing folks of all ages equipped with pool tables,” the website said. “Over the years, Borderline has hosted many legendary performances such as The Beach Boys, John Rich, Collin Raye, Mark Chesnutt, Lee Brice, Adam Carolla & Tyler Farr to name a few.”