Who Is Ian David Long? New Details On The Shooter, The Nightclub Shooting In California, And The Victims Who Died
The gunman killed 12 people in Thousand Oaks, California
Instagram We woke up yesterday morning to yet another horrific mass shooting in the United States. A lone gunman walked into the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California during their "College Country Night" event for students at California Lutheran University, Pepperdine University, and Moorpark College and opened fire. Nearly 20 people were injured during the incident. 12 people in the bar were shot and killed. The gunman then reportedly turned the gun on himself. Who is Ian David Long and what are the details surrounding the people who were at the Borderline Bar and Grill on Wednesday night?
1. He was a Marine Corp veteran
The gunman who murdered 12 people was 28 years old at the time he walked into the Borderline Bar and Grill and opened fire. He used a Glock .45 caliber gun that he purchased legally. He used an extended magazine which allowed him to shoot more than the 10 rounds the gun usually holds. That type of extended magazine was outlawed in 2016. He had previous run-ins with the law in recent months. In April, officers responded to a call at the home he shared with his mother in Newbury Park, California. He was acting irrationally. It took the police a half a day to coax him out of the house. A mental health specialist was called to the scene. It was determined he may have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. A neighbor told CNN that the gunman's mother lived in fear of what her son might do. She reportedly was not concerned for her own safety, but she did not know what to do as her son refused to get help. During his military service from 2008-2013 he served in Afghanistan and Okinawa, Japan. He attended California State University, Northridge from 2013 to 2016 but did not graduate.
2. How it all unfolded
Witnesses report the gunman shot a security guard outside of the Borderline Bar and Grill before entering the bar and shooting the young woman working the hostess desk. He was dressed in all black and wearing glasses. He opened fire within about three seconds of entering the establishment. People on the scene reported he appeared to come out of nowhere and just opened fire on people at the bar and on the dance floor. Reports of the shooting came in around 11:20pm PT. Law enforcement was on the scene within three minutes of receiving the first of the 911 calls.
3. The victims included the first Sheriff's deputy on the scene
The first law enforcement officer to arrive on the scene was Ventura County Sherrif's Sgt. Ron Helus, a 29-year law enforcement veteran. He rushed into the building and was shot several times. He died in the hospital a bit later in the night. Helus, 54, was due to retire next year. On Thursday morning, the Ventura County Sherrif led a long procession with Helus' body through Thousand Oaks and Ventura County. Bridges and overpasses were filled with first responders, law enforcement, and people in the community paying tribute to Helus. He was reportedly talking to his wife on the phone when the call came in from the crime scene.
4. Cody Coffman was set to enter the Army
Jeff Coffman gave an extremely emotional interview to a number of local Los Angeles news outlets. Around 1am his son Cody's friends banged on his door. They'd made it out of the bar, but Cody had been at the bar buying a round of drinks when the gunfire started. Jeff tracked his son's iPhone and found that it was still in the club. He left for the scene of the crime to search for his son. Cody had two brothers aged 8 and 6 and a baby sister due to be born later this month. He had just turned 22.
5. Tamera Mowry's niece Alaina
Alania Housley was the 18-year-old niece of former Fox News correspondent Adam Housley and his wife actress Tamera Mowry-Housley. She was one of about 16 students from Pepperdine University at the Borderline Bar and Grill on Wednesday night. Alaina's friends and family had not heard from her for seven hours after the shooting. Her iPhone and Apple Watch continued to show that she was on the dance floor of the bar.
RELATED: Sad Details About Tamera Mowry’s Niece Who Was Killed During The Thousand Oaks Shooting
6. Route 91 survivors
A number of people inside the Borderline Bar and Grill on Wednesday night were survivors of the 2017 massacre at the Route 91 festival. The Borderline Bar and Grill is a place where survivors of the Las Vegas massacre meet up. A witness named Nick Champion told on scene reporters that he was at the Route 91 concert last year and at the bar on Wednesday night. He estimated that 50 to 60 other people in attendance that night had also been at Route 91 in 2017. He and other Las Vegas survivors considered Borderline a 'place of healing' and regularly gathered there.
7. A Route 91 survivor was killed
Telemachus Orfanos was a survivor of the 2017 Route 91 massacre. He has been confirmed as one of the victims of the Borderline Bar and Grill shooting. He was a graduate of Thousand Oaks High School and attended Moorpark College before joining the Navy. Telemachus' mother Susan gave an impassioned plea to KABC-TV on Thursday evening. She said: "My son was in Las Vegas with a lot of his friends and he came home. He didn't come home last night. I don't want prayers. I don't want thoughts. I hope to God no one sends me anymore prayers. I want gun control. No more guns! Now, now, now, now. No more NRA. No more money. Gun control now."
8. The bar's hostess Kristina
The gunman walked into the bar and opened fire. One of the first people to be killed was 19-year-old Kristina Morisette, who worked the front desk at Borderline. She was the friendly face that greeted customers as they entered the bar. Kristina was in her second year at Moorpark College.
9. A promoter who died a hero
Justin Meek was a 23-year-old recent graduate of Cal Lutheran where he studied criminal justice and criminology. He was a promoter and taught line dancing at Borderline. When the gunman opened fire, Meek began pushing people out of the way. He stood between the gunman and other people in the nightclub and suffered multiple gunshot wounds. One of the people he saved is his 22-year-old sister Victoria. He was planning to join the Coast Guard.
10. A marine
Daniel Manrique was a 33-year-old Marine Corps radio operator who was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007. He had recently been hired by the nonprofit group Team Red, White, and Blue, which supports veterans.
11. The bouncer
Sean Adler was a longtime resident of Simi Valley. He was involved in Youth Sports and had recently opened a coffee shop called Rivalry Roasters. He was working as the bouncer at Borderline on the night of the shooting.
12. A college student
21-year-old Noel Sparks was a student at Moorpark College. She was a regular at Borderline Bar and Grill. She grew up in Thousand Oaks.
13. Friends Jake and Blake
Jake Dunham and Blake Dingman were friends who grew up in Newbury Park. The two friends went to Borderline together on Wednesday night. They were both avid fans of off-roading.
14. Not even 21 years old
Mark Meza Jr. was also killed in the Borderline shooting. He would have turned 21 later this month. He grew up in Carpenteria and attended Santa Barbara City College in 2014. His family has asked for privacy as they deal with and mourn the loss of Mark.
15. 307th mass shooting of 2018
The massacre that killed 12 innocent people (13 including the gunman) is the 307th mass shooting in the United States in 2018. It is the deadliest since the February massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida where 17 people died. It comes not even two full weeks after 11 people were shot to death inside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.