Thousand Oaks faces sorrow: the Borderline Bar shooting

Prior to November 7, Thousand Oaks held the reputation of being a safe and quiet community in the state of California. On November 7 at approximately 11:20 p.m., a gunman began firing at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Those in the bar consisted of students gathered for college night from colleges such as California Lutheran University and Pepperdine University, along with individuals who simply sought to have a good time, according to NBC Los Angeles.

The incident left 12 people dead and at least another 22 people injured, according to the New York Times.

According to CNN, those who lost their lives include Ron Helus, Noel Sparks, Dan Manrique, Justin Meek, Cody Coffman, Alaina Housley, Telemachus Orfanos, Sean Adler, Mark Meza Jr., Blake Dingman, Jacob Dunham, and Kristina Morisette.

The gunman has been identified as 28-year-old Ian David Long. Long later shot himself in the bar.

Many Gather for a vigil honoring and mourning the victims of the Borderline Bar shooting (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Days following the shooting included periods of mourning and grief by Thousand Oaks locals and many others. According to NPR, a vigil took place at the Fred Kaveli Theatre in which many gathered to mourn and honor the victims who lost their lives the night of the shooting. The Thousand Oaks community and others also lined up on the route that took Ron Helus, a sheriff’s sergeant, to a medical examiner, as an act of respect for the sergeant.