A retired Ventura police sergeant opened fire in a Southern California biker bar Wednesday night, killing at least three people and wounding six others. The mass shooting occurred around 7 p.m. local time at Cook's Corner in Trabuco Canyon, a historic restaurant and bar popular among bikers.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office identified the gunman as 59-year-old John Snowling, who was one of the people killed after being shot by responding officers. He was a sergeant with the Ventura Police Department, as confirmed by police, who said Snowling started at the department in 1986 and worked there until his retirement in 2014.
NIKKI HALEY CLAIMED DEBATE SPOTLIGHT AMONG CROWD OF 'SCREAMING MEN'
#OCSDPIO The suspect of the Trabuco Canyon shooting is confirmed as John Snowling, 59. Despite misinformation, his wife was injured in the shooting and is not deceased. We will provide additional information at the press briefing this afternoon.
— OC Sheriff, CA (@OCSheriff) August 24, 2023
“Our hearts weigh heavy with the distressing incident at Cook’s Corner,” Chief Darin Schindler of the Ventura Police Department said in a Thursday press statement. “Our deepest condolences are with the families of the victims, the survivors, and the Orange County deputies who swiftly responded to the scene. This incident deeply affects us all.”
Snowling reportedly was targeting his estranged wife, Marie Snowling, at the bar, multiple law enforcement sources told the press. Marie Snowling survived, but she was shot and is hospitalized. The wounded victims were taken to the hospital.
The first deputies arrived within two minutes at the bar on Santiago Canyon Road after the initial 911 call reporting the shooting.
Marie Snowling filed for divorce in December 2022, and a hearing was set for later this year, as shown by Ventura County Superior Court records, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
Neighbors of the Snowlings described the deceased suspect as a “standoffish kind of person” and not the “most personable guy,” according to James Goldsmith, via the Los Angeles Times, who lived two doors down from him.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
He added about John Snowling, “Not that I can say that there was anything really negative,” and said Marie Snowling moved out to live with her sick mother.
The Ventura Police Department said the investigation is currently being led by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, with Ventura police assisting and cooperating.