Police officers are seen on a blocked off road after a shooting at nearby bar "Cook's Corner" in Trabuco Canyon, California, on Aug. 23, 2023.
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Jae C. Hong
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AP
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Topline:
Authorities are investigating what may have prompted a former police sergeant to open fire in a popular Orange County bar on Wednesday, killing at least three people and injuring six others.
Key points:
O.C. District Attorney Todd Spitzer identified the shooter as John Snowling, a retired sergeant for the Ventura Police Department. Officials said he had three handguns and one shotgun.
Snowling’s wife, Marie Snowling, filed for divorce against him this December in a case that is still ongoing, according to the Ventura County court website. She was at the bar with a friend.
Of the six victims who were transported to the hospital, all have been stabilized and one will be released, medical officials said.
Victims: Authorities released more information about the people who were shot and killed, but remained vague on details. One of them was John Leehey, 67, of Irvine. Another was a woman eating dinner with Marie Snowling as shots rang out. The friend, who was not immediately identified, was able to escape to the roadway outside, but succumbed to her wounds. Another unidentified woman was also killed, officials said.
What's next: Authorities said the sprawling crime scene will be closed for the foreseeable future, with investigators processing the area into the night.
Authorities are investigating what may have prompted a former police sergeant to open fire in a popular Orange County bar on Wednesday, killing at least three people and injuring six others.
Authorities said the shooter was also killed within minutes of sheriff's deputies arriving at Cook’s Corner, and on Thursday, gave more details about how the incident unfolded.
What we know so far
O.C. sheriff's deputies responded to the shooting shortly after 7 p.m. at Cook’s Corner, a historic biker bar in Trabuco Canyon at 19152 Santiago Canyon Road.
Orange County Undersheriff Jeff Hallock said deputies responded to 911 calls at 7:04 p.m. Two minutes later, he said the deputies arrived, and two minutes after that, confronted the shooter. At that point, Hallock said multiple "deputy-involved shootings" occurred.
Of the six victims who were transported to the hospital, all have been stabilized and one was due to be released, medical officials said.
M Street band member Brian Lynch said in a Facebook post that two fellow band members had been injured in the shooting and were treated by paramedics.
O.C. District Attorney Todd Spitzer identified the shooter as John Snowling, a retired sergeant for the Ventura Police Department. Officials said he had three handguns and one shotgun.
Snowling’s wife, Marie Snowling, filed for divorce against him this December in a case that is still ongoing, according to the Ventura County court website.
The sheriff's department said investigators believe John Snowling "drove from Ohio to California to target his wife over a domestic dispute."
A Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson told LAist there are no previous domestic violence calls or restraining orders in their files regarding Snowling. The department is the police agency for the city of Camarillo, where the couple lived.
State Sen. Dave Min, who represents that area, said in a statement that he was “devastated by news of yet another mass shooting tonight,” particularly in Orange County. Supervisor Katrina Foley also said she was "heartbroken to hear of another senseless mass shooting, this time in our own backyard.”
Law enforcement personnel stage at the scene of a mass shooting outside Cook's Corner, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Trabuco Canyon.
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Jae C. Hong
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AP
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More on the incident
Spitzer told LAist on Thursday that at some point after Snowling began shooting, he retreated to his car and retrieved additional weapons. Spitzer said Snowling appeared to have targeted some people, but "he apparently was also shooting randomly.”
Spitzer said it was still unclear whether Snowling was killed by officers or if he killed himself.
“There appears to have been a gun battle,” Spitzer said.
Speaking at a news conference Thursday afternoon, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said a deputy-involved shooting occurred, and that "we do know and do believe that it was the gunfire from those deputies that took the life of that individual."
Marie Snowling, meanwhile, “is conscious and is speaking so her status seems to be improving somewhat significantly,” Barnes added.
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes addresses the media on Thursday, Aug. 24, for updates on the Cook's Corner shooting.
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Julia Barajas/LAist
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The district attorney noted that federal law allows most retired law enforcement officials to carry guns “essentially for life.” Spitzer said that following the Wednesday night shooting, he would be urging state legislators to consider an “intermittent review process” to determine whether retired officers should continue to be allowed to carry guns throughout their retirement.
“Because if somebody retires at 50 years of age or thereabout, and then they are in their 60s and there’s a change in circumstance in their life, their status, their psychological well-being or whatever, they should have to check in and somebody should be determining whether or not [they] should be allowed to continue to carry a weapon,” he added.
Snowling served as president of the Ventura police union in 2009 and was reportedly re-elected to the position that year.
The dead victims
Authorities released more information about the people who were shot and killed, but remained vague on details. Among them was John Leehey, 67, of Irvine, and Glen Sprowl Jr., 53, of Stanton.
Tonya Clark, a 49-year-old resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, was eating dinner with Marie Snowling when shots rang out. After being hit by gunfire, Clark was able to escape to the roadway outside, but succumbed to her wounds, officials said.
We stand in mourning alongside the family and friends of Tonya, John and Glen. They were tragically killed Wednesday in a shooting at Cook's Corner in Trabuco Canyon. Please join us in wishing all who knew and loved them comfort during this extremely difficult time. pic.twitter.com/h7Laaczaqq
John Snowling’s attorney told LAist he was horrified by the shooting, and that there was no hint of domestic violence in the divorce filings or his conversations with his client.
“This is an absolute nightmare,” Tristan teGroen said in an interview, adding that his thoughts are with the couple’s adult children.
“I’m stunned. I’m horrified,” he added. “This seemed to be a very calm divorce case.”
“There was never the prospect of domestic violence whatsoever,” teGroen added. “I never received anything from the other lawyer saying that my client was threatening or mean or doing anything that might be considered violence.”
An attorney for Snowling’s estranged wife did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What's next
Authorities said the sprawling crime scene will be closed for the foreseeable future, with investigators processing the area into the night.
This is a developing story. We fact check everything and rely only on information from credible sources (think fire, police, government officials and reporters on the ground). Sometimes, however, we make mistakes and/or initial reports turn out to be wrong. In all cases, we strive to bring you the most accurate information in real time and will update this story as new information becomes available.
