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Nov. 8, 2018 / 12:34 PM GMT
By Erik Ortiz
A sheriff’s sergeant who was one of the first officers to rush inside a packed Southern California bar after a gunman opened fire late Wednesday was struck multiple times and later died, authorities said.
Ventura County Sgt. Ron Helus, a 29-year veteran of the department, was one of the 12 killed at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles west of Los Angeles.
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Helus, who had a wife and son, was hailed for his bravery by Sheriff Geoff Dean, noting how he ran toward the danger within three minutes of the first reports of gunfire.
“He gave his all, and tonight, as I told his wife, he died a hero,” Dean said, choking back tears at a news conference. “He went in to save lives, to save people.”
Dean added that he would often work out with Helus at the gym, and he was about a year away from retirement.
Police received reports at about 11:20 p.m. PT (2:20 a.m. ET) for a shooting at the Borderline, which was hosting a college country night, open to people 18 and older.
Witness Matthew Estron told NBC Los Angeles that the shooter was dressed in “all black” and armed with a handgun when he began shooting. Patrons tried to flee out of his path as he made his way to the bar.
“He didn’t say anything, at least not that we could hear,” Estron said. “Everyone was just trying to get out.”
Others described hearing a volley of shots, then seeing bodies on the ground. About 10 to 12 people were also injured, police said.
Helus and another officer with the California Highway Patrol arrived at the scene. Helus — trained to enter a building when there is a report of an active shooter — went inside the bar and was met with gunfire. Helus was struck multiple times, Dean said.
The other officer who had been securing the perimeter helped to drag Helus “out of the line of fire,” Dean said, but he later died at the hospital.
“He was willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of others,” Dean said on “Today.” “He ran into danger — he didn’t walk.”
The gunman was not immediately identified, but was found dead at the scene. Law enforcement sources said it’s believed that he shot himself, but Dean said the investigation continues.
The gunman was not carrying any form of identification, he added, and his fingerprints have to be run through databases.
“This is, by far, the most horrific thing I’ve seen in my 41 years,” Dean said.
