Witnesses console one another across the street from the Borderline Bar & Grill and talk to law enforcement
Police were responding to reports of a mass shooting that left at least seven people injured, including a deputy sheriff, Wednesday night at a Thousand Oaks bar packed with hundreds of people, including college students.
Authorities said the scene at the Borderline Bar & Grill was still “fluid” and urged the public to stay away. Officials could not immediately confirm if anyone had been killed or if the shooter was still alive or a threat.
One law enforcement official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Times that at least 30 shots had been fired.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Garo Kuredjian told reporters at the scene that deputies responded to reports of shots fired at the bar around 11:20 p.m. When the deputies arrived, they exchanged gunfire with a suspect and one of the deputies was wounded, according to Kuredjian, who did not know if the gunman had been hit.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force had been dispatched to the scene. Kuredjian could not comment on the extent of the injuries suffered by those shot.
Aubrey Ryan, 27, of Newbury Park, was in the front of the restaurant with at least 15 friends when a man came in and started shooting at the ceiling.
The gunman shouted something but Ryan could not hear what he said. A friend threw her onto an outdoor balcony as the gunfire rang out so she could escape, said Ryan, who feared some of her friends were still inside the bar.
Another witness at the scene, who refused to give his name, said someone ran into the bar around 11:30 p.m. and started firing what appeared to be a black pistol.
"He shot a lot, at least 30 times. I could still hear gunshots after everyone left,” the man said.
Law enforcement and emergency crews were flooding the scene, and authorities were urging the public to avoid the area.
Along Moorpark Road, lines of police cars and ambulances were visible.
Borderline is a country music bar that hosts live music events. An event aimed at college students, which was open to students 18 and older was scheduled to take place this evening, according to the bar’s website and Instagram page.
Pepperdine’s student newspaper also tweeted that students from the campus were believed to be in the bar at the time of the shooting.
This is the second time this year Thousand Oaks has been victim to a public spasm of violence in a crowded area. In March, a man shot and killed his wife before attempting to shoot himself at the Thousand Oaks Mall.
Carl Edgar, a 24-year-old Tarzana resident, said he had about 20 friends inside the bar, where he is a regular. The bar is an extremely popular hangout for Moorpark College students on Wednesday nights, according to Edgar, who wasn’t there Wednesday night but was speaking with friends who were inside when the shooting began.
One texted him that she was hiding in a bathroom, fearing for her life. But Edgar said he was hopeful that his friends were safe.
Some of them, sadly, had been through this before.
“There are a few people we can’t get a hold of, but in these situations people usually turn off their phones to be safe so I’m not gonna get too worried. A lot of my friends survived Route 91,” he said, referring to a mass shooting that killed 57 during a country music festival in Las Vegas last year. “If they survived that, they will survive this.”
At least one person has reportedly been killed and several more injured after a shooting at a bar hosting an event for college students in California.
A gunman is said to have used smoke grenades before firing into the crowd at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, at 11.20pm local time.
A police officer was among at least 11 injured, Captain Garo Kuredjian of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said.
He added that there was no longer a threat to people living nearby after earlier saying the shooter may still be on the loose in what was "a very active scene".
Local TV station ABC7 reported at least one person had been killed, citing helicopter footage from the scene.
Authorities are yet to confirm any deaths and the extent of the victims' injuries has not yet been released.
Witnesses said the gunman shot a security guard standing at the door of the bar before entering the building and throwing "smoke grenades all over the place".
A female cashier was said to be among the injured after the man,described as bearded and wearing a black trench coat, hat and glasses, starting firing.
Several witnesses told ABC 7 the man was armed with a handgun. Others reported seeing a high-capacity magazine or "uzi-style" weapon.
At least 30 shots were fired before people inside the bar began using chairs to smash windows to escape, the witness said. Police said "hundreds" were inside when the shooting took place.
Teylor Whittler was on the dance floor when the shooting started. She said: "I heard the gunshot, turned around and saw him shoot a couple more times.
"Within a split second everyone yelled ‘get down’. I ran to where the back door is, and everyone dog-piled on top of each other. It was silent for a couple of seconds and then all of a sudden a couple of guys started running to the back door and said ‘get up he’s coming’.
"It was a huge panic, everyone tried getting up, and some guy came behind me, lifted me up and said ‘let’s go’. I got a bar stool thrown at my head because they were trying to use it to get out.”
Video showed casualties being carried away from the bar by members of the public and the emergency services.
Bomb squad and FBI teams have been called to the area and Swat units are in place although authorities said the bar was now safe to enter for emergency services.
Several people who hid in the attic of the building during the shooting were escorted out by police. Emergency services were seen searching the roof of the building.
Earlier, Ventura County Fire Department issued a statement saying: "Ongoing active shooter incident reported at Borderline in Thousand Oaks.
"Please stay away from area. Active law enforcement incident. Multiple injuries reported. Details still being determined. Multiple ambulances requested."
The website for Borderline bar showed that Wednesday nights are College Country Nights that last from 9 pm until 2am.
Thousand Oaks, a wealthy city home to several colleges and universities, is ranked as one of America's safest cities by the FBI.
Nick Steinwender, student body president at nearby California Lutheran University, rushed to the scene when he heard about a shooting at the bar where he knew friends and fellow students were inside.
"It was chaos, people jumping out of windows, people hopping over gates to get out," he told KABC-TV.
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