Suspect in California bar shooting identified as 28-year-old former Marine

Nov. 8, 2018 / 4:35 PM GMT / Updated 5:11 PM GMT

By Pete Williams, Andrew Blankstein, Jonathan Dienst and Tom Winter

The gunman suspected of fatally shooting 12 people at a California bar has been identified as a 28-year-old former Marine who had been experiencing emotional issues, authorities said.

Ian Long opened fire inside the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks during a “college country night,” authorities said.

“We have no idea what the motive is at this point,” said Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean.

Police were called to Long’s home in Newbury Park in 2018 for a domestic dispute where he was found to be “somewhat irate and acting irrationally,” Dean said.

Long was also the victim of an assault at a local bar in Thousand Oaks and had been involved in two traffic accidents, Dean said.

Dean said Long, a Marine vet, was armed with a legally purchased .45-caliber Glock handgun with an extended magazine. He was found dead in the bar of a suspected self-inflicted gun shot wound.

Long left the Marine Corps in March 2013 after a five-year stint that included a tour in Afghanistan’s restive Helmand Province.

A machine gunner, Long’s Afghanistan deployment stretched from Nov. 2010 to June 2011.

“The Marine Corps extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims in this senseless tragedy,” a Marine spokesperson said.

A woman believed to be Long’s mother posted a series of photos on her Facebook page showing a young man in military tactical gear.

In one photo, he’s seen standing in front of a cement wall with a white puppy peeking out of his backpack.

“Now that’s cute,” she wrote.

Court records show that Long was arrested for speeding in Ventura County in 2013.

Long was dressed in all black and wearing a hood when he entered the bar and squeezed off multiple rounds at unsuspecting revelers, according to witnesses.

The victims included Ventura County Sgt. Ron Helus, a 29-year veteran of the department.