- Title: Eyewitness describes horror of California bar shooting
- Date: 8th November 2018
- Summary: THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 8, 2018) (REUTERS) POLICE ARMORED VEHICLE DRIVING AWAY FROM SCENE OF SHOOTING VIEW OF LINE OF TV CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (English) EYEWITNESS, COLE KNAPP, 19-YEARS-OLD, SAYING: "I was just with friends and I saw the shooter walk in and he reached up to the counter like he was going to put an ID or some money up on the counter to pay his cover charge and I just kind of saw it in the corner of my eye and I heard a gunshot and I focused on him and I saw that he was holding a handgun and he continued to shoot at the girl at the front desk" KNAPP BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) EYEWITNESS, COLE KNAPP, 19-YEARS-OLD, SAYING: "Not at his face but I got a good look at his figure. He was wearing all black, big stocky guy, maybe 6 ft., 6.2 ft." REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) EYEWITNESS, COLE KNAPP, 19-YEARS-OLD, SAYING: "It took a couple of seconds for people to realize what was going on and once that happened it was just utter chaos." POLICE AT SCENE (SOUNDBITE) (English) EYEWITNESS, COLE KNAPP, 19-YEARS-OLD, SAYING: "I got people behind cover of a pool table, there was an exit close to me, I went for that exit, it was on to the smoking patio, there were people smoking that didn't know what was going on because you can't hear very much out there and I told them get over that fence and just run." KNAPP BEING COMFORTED BY REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) EYEWITNESS, COLE KNAPP, 19-YEARS-OLD, SAYING: "Aside from the first girl who was killed, I saw that happen, and then after we were just trying to get people to safety and help. We saw four guys carrying a gunshot victim right down this street and they looked pretty tired and they were screaming at us so me, and friend Matt went over to help and helped take some of the load off and carry him to an ambulance." KNAPP SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) EYEWITNESS, COLE KNAPP, 19-YEARS-OLD, SAYING: "I'm just reeling, riding on adrenaline right now, it's just kind of unbelievable that somebody would want to come to a place I care about and hurt people that I care about." KNAPP WITH REPORTERS
- Embargoed: 22nd November 2018 16:15
- Keywords: shooting Thousand Oaks Ventura County Sheriff victims suspect Ian D. Long bar
- Location: THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA00195NC213
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A U.S. Marine Corps veteran opened fire on a crowd of mostly college students and young adults dancing at a crowded country and western bar in a suburb of Los Angeles late on Wednesday (November 7), killing 12 people including a sheriff's deputy.
College student Cole Knapp, 19, was inside the bar with friends when he saw the gunman enter the bar and start shooting.
"I was just with friends and I saw the shooter walk in and he reached up to the counter like he was going to put an ID or some money up on the counter to pay his cover charge and I just kind of saw it in the corner of my eye and I heard a gunshot and I focused on him and I saw that he was holding a handgun and he continued to shoot at the girl at the front desk," said Knapp, who lives nearby.
"I got a good look at his figure. He was wearing all black, big stocky guy, maybe 6 ft., 6.2 ft.," he added.
Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean named the suspect, who was also killed, as Ian Long, aged 28. Dean told a news conference Long had likely shot himself.
He said he appeared to have shot at random, using only a Glock .45-caliber handgun. There was no known motive.
An unknown number of people were wounded in the shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill, a popular venue with college students and young adults in the suburb of Thousand Oaks. Wednesday was dubbed "College Country Night".
"I'm just reeling, riding on adrenaline right now, it's just kind of unbelievable that somebody would want to come to a place I care about and hurt people that I care about," added Knapp. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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