California biker bar shooter was targeting wife

NEW DELHI: The California Biker Bar shooter, identified as a retired police sergeant with the Ventura Police Department John Snowling, was reportedly targeting his wife. The retired sergeant was going through a bitter divorce filed by his then wife Marie Snowling in December 2022, following which he entered the bar to shoot her.
However, he went on a deadly shooting spree just after 7pm on August 23 leaving a total of four individuals dead, including the assailant.Six of the injured were transported to a hospital among which 5 had gunshot wounds, Orange County Fire Chief Brian Fennessy said.
Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo said in a statement that out of the six two were critical while the remaining four were stable.
Authorities revealed that Orange County sheriff's deputies confronted the armed perpetrator, leading to a confrontation that ended in the gunman's death. Undersheriff Jeff Hallock expressed the community's grief, stating, "This is an absolute tragic event and something that I know is probably weighing very heavy on the entire Trabuco Canyon community. Cook's Corner, I mean, it's a staple here in south Orange County."
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office stated that is aware of the shooting and is coordinating with the officials.
In a heartbreaking response, State Senator Catherine Blakespear, representing Orange County, expressed her devastation on social media, saying, “I'm devastated to hear of a shooting today in Trabuco Canyon in Orange County. My heart aches for those involved. My team and I are monitoring the situation and thank the first responders for their involvement at the scene.”
State Senator Dave Min, also an Orange County representative, called Cook’s Corner “a historic bar in the heart of Orange County”.Our district is one of the safest areas in the country, and yet we too are repeatedly afflicted with the scourge of mass shootings,” he added in his statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The incident had caused among those present. “Once he started shooting, it was very indiscriminate,” Mark Johnson, a witness, said to the Associated Press.
“I just reached into the stroller and ejected my daughter out of that thing, ripped her out of there as fast as I could,”. “It was all a blur, it happened so fast.''Ryan Guidus, another scared witness, told the Associated Press.
(Inputs from agencies)