12 people were killed including a sheriff’s deputy after a mass shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California that took place during a college night. The gunman, identified as a white male veteran Marine, was also found dead.
The L.A. Times reports: ‘The gunman burst into the bar around 11:20 p.m., cloaked in all black. Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Ron Helus and a California Highway Patrol officer entered the bar first and entered into a firefight with the suspect, whose identity was not immediately known. Helus was shot several times and died at an area hospital early Thursday morning, according to Dean. Helus, a 29-year veteran of the sheriff’s department, was planning to retire next year. Dean said he died “a hero.” He is survived by a son and his wife, whom he called before entering the bar, Dean said.’
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ABC7 adds: “The country bar is located near the 101 Freeway off Moorpark Road. The website for Borderline showed that Wednesday nights are College Country Nights that last from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. Colleges near the club are California Lutheran University and California State University, Channel Islands, as well as Moorpark, Ventura and Oxnard College. Students from Pepperdine University in Malibu also often attend College Country Nights, and there may have been some at the bar Wednesday night. It was unclear how many, according to the university.”
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/hw4bhAVlrI pic.twitter.com/Inzi1jAIXd
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 8, 2018
More earlier reports from the scene:
