Gunman kills 12 at California bar packed with college students; suspect identified
LOS ANGELES - A gunman threw smoke bombs and rained bullets on a crowd of more than a hundred people inside a Thousand Oaks bar Wednesday night, killing a dozen patrons and a Ventura County sheriff's sergeant who was trying to stop the carnage.
The gunman, identified by law enforcement sources as Ian Long, 29, of Newbury Park, died in the incident. The shooter was dressed in black when he burst into the Borderline Bar & Grill, a country music-themed venue popular with college students, around 11:20 p.m., according to Sheriff Geoff Dean.
A law enforcement source, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the shooter was armed with a Glock .45-caliber handgun and a "smoke device."
The shooter drove his mother's car to the bar and did not say anything before opening fire, the official said.
Authorities said sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus and a California Highway Patrol officer entered the bar first and were met with gunfire from the suspect. Helus was shot several times and died at an area
