Gunman kills 12 in California bar
November 9, 2018
On Wednesday night, at around 11:20 p.m. PT, 28-year-old gunman Ian David Long walked into Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks, CA, killing 12 people and injuring over a dozen before killing himself.
Most victims were identified as college students in their early twenties. Most people in the bar dived out on the floor, rushing to safety, upon hearing the shots.
Prior to the shooting, Long made a post on Facebook saying, “I hope people call me insane… (laughing emojis).. wouldn’t that just be a big ball of irony? Yeah.. I’m insane, but the only thing you people do after these shootings is ‘hopes and prayers’.. or ‘keep you in my thoughts’… every time… and wonder why these keep happening…”
The gun that Long used was a legally purchased .45-caliber Glock 21 with an extended magazine. Police still have not yet isolated a motive behind the mass shooting.
Many people have taken to social media, paying their respects to victims and calling for changes to gun control laws and mental health services.