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This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.

KPCC Archive

Dispatch tape and witness accounts lay out a chaotic scene and response to Borderline mass shooting

A Ventura County Sheriffs officer stands near a vehicle near the Borderline Bar and Grill, where a mass shooting occurred on November 7, 2018 in Thousand Oaks, California.
A Ventura County Sheriffs officer stands near a vehicle near the Borderline Bar and Grill, where a mass shooting occurred on November 7, 2018 in Thousand Oaks, California.
(
David McNew/Getty Images
)

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Dispatch tape and witness accounts lay out a chaotic scene and response to Borderline mass shooting

The initial response to the Borderline mass shooting was textbook example of quickly confronting a dangerous gunman in an effort to save lives. But when an officer was shot, the hurried confrontation ground to a halt. 

KPCC/LAist combed through publicly available dispatch tape from that night to better understand how authorities responded. We found it took about 15 minutes after the first report Ventura County Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus had been shot for authorities to pull him from the building. Then it was another 21 minutes before officers announced they were re-entering. 

Read more about what Annie Gilbertson and Frank Stoltze found on LAist.com: Police Responded Immediately To Chaotic, Confusing Mass Shooting At Borderline Bar — Then Slowed

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