Ian David Long, the 28-year-old gunman who unleashed a hail of bullets at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Afghanistan and was struggling with mental health issues..
Marine Corps officials at the Pentagon confirmed the Newbury Park resident had served in the Corps from August 2008 to March 2013, leaving at the rank of corporal. He was a machine-gunner in infantry combat and was deployed to Afghanistan from Nov. 16, 2010, to June 14, 2011. Long’s last assignment was in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, officials said.
Ventura County sheriff’s deputies said Long opened fire inside the crowded bar with a Glock .45-caliber handgun that he had legally purchased. The handgun was equipped with an extended magazine — allowing it to hold more than the standard 10 rounds — when he allegedly entered the Western-themed bar at about 11:20 p.m. Wednesday.
Within minutes, Long had killed 11 patrons and a sheriff’s sergeant who confronted him before he retreated into an office at the bar and shot himself to death.
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen issued a statement offering “deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and all those affected by this tragedy.”
“I would also like to acknowledge the heroic sacrifice of Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Ron Helus, who was killed while engaging the suspect, and thank the law enforcement officers and first responders who were on the scene,” Nielsen said. “DHS continues to support our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to develop trainings and resources to improve response capabilities and better protect soft targets and crowded places.”
