Thousand Oaks Shooting: Gunman Is Dead, Police Confirm

Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Eric Buschow said the gunman suspected of carrying out a mass shooting in a Southern California country bar is dead.

The unnamed gunman opened fire at the Borderline Bar and Grill around midnight on Wednesday, Nov. 7, injuring at least 11 people.

Buschow indicated that among those victims there were fatalities, but he did not indicate how many, according to ABC7.

“It’s been a rough night for all of us,” Buschow said, according to the report.

A deputy sheriff and a doorman were among the wounded.

The shooter reportedly stormed into the venue wearing a black trench coat, armed with smoke grenades and a firearm with a high-capacity magazine.

A sheriff’s captain told reporters at the scene that the status of the injured was unclear.

“I can’t tell you what the status of any of those that were shot is at this point,” said Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Garo Kuredjian. “It’s still very fluid, and I hope to give you guys updates in terms of both the number and the status of the shooter.”

Hundreds of people were inside the bar when the shooting occurred, the Los Angeles Times reported. Law enforcement and emergency crews flooded the scene and police urged the public to avoid the area.

A witness told ABC Los Angeles station KABC-TV that he saw a security guard get shot, adding that the gunman appeared to use “a big handgun” and smoke grenades.

“The gunman was throwing smoke grenades all over the place,” a different witness told KABC. “I saw him point to the back of the cash register ... and he just kept firing. I ran out the front door.

“There was probably three or four [shots]. I hit the ground. I look up—the security guard is dead. Well, I don’t want to say he was dead, but he was shot. He was down.”

The Ventura County Fire Department tweeted, “Please stay away from area. Active law enforcement incident. Multiple injuries reported. Details still being determined. Multiple ambulances requested.”

Kuredjian confirmed at a news conference early Thursday, Nov. 8 that a sheriff’s deputy was taken to a hospital suffering from gunshot wounds, but did not provide information on the extent of the victims’ injuries.

The sheriff’s spokesman said the first reports of shots fired came around 11:20 p.m. at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles. He said responding deputies could hear gunshots as they arrived on scene.

Witnesses told ABC News that a man fired several shots from a handgun before tossing smoke bombs and starting to fire again.

The gunman used a semi-automatic weapon in the attack, according to the Ventura County Star.

Police told the Los Angeles Times that at least 30 shots were fired.

The bar is a country-themed bar known for its large dance floor and live music events, according to its website.

“With over 2,500 square feet of wide open dance floor, Borderline has provided a haven for country line dancing folks of all ages equipped with pool tables,” the website says. “Over the years, Borderline has hosted many legendary performances such as The Beach Boys, John Rich, Collin Raye, Mark Chesnutt, Lee Brice, Adam Carolla, and Tyler Farr to name a few.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.