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Borderline Massacre Gunman Identified as Marine Veteran David Ian Long, 28

Posted on | November 8, 2018 | Comments Off on Borderline Massacre Gunman Identified as Marine Veteran David Ian Long, 28

Breaking news:

The gunman who killed 12 people in a mass shooting at a bar holding a country night for students has been named as 29 year-old ex-Marine David Ian Long. Long, who went by his middle name, drove his mom’s car to Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California in the early hours of Thursday, where he shot a doorman and cashier before opening fire inside the bar room. Police raided the heavily-tattooed killer’s home Thursday morning, with neighbors describing him as a veteran who suffered from PTSD.

No information about the shooter’s motive is known yet.

UPDATE 10:30 a.m. ET: The sheriff just briefed the press:

“We are still working to identify the victims. We have identified the suspect. Ian David Long, [date of birth] March 27, 1990. 28-years-old and several contacts with him over the years. One of which was a traffic collision.
“Deputies were called to his house in April and he was somewhat irate, acting irrationally, they called out our crisis team and cleared him. He was left at the scene, last April.
“Officers are now seeking a warrant to search the property.
“He used a Glock 21 45 caliber handgun. Designed to hold 10 rounds. This weapon did have an extended magazine. We do not know how many rounds were in the weapon or how many it could hold.
“He shot the security guard, appears he turned to the right and shot several other security and other employees before opening fire inside the nightclub.
“We have no idea what the motive is. He was a veteran, he was in the US Marine Corps. Deputies thought he might be suffering with PTSD.
“We believe he shot himself. He was found inside an office, adjacent to the entrance. There is no indication that he targeted employees.”

While we still have nothing specific about the gunman’s motives, it seems clear that mental illness may have been a factor.

 

UPDATE 12:30 p.m. ET: Long’s background has become a focus:

The Marine Corps said that Long served in the military from August 4, 2008 through March 2, 2013 and earned the rank of corporal, according to journalist Cassie Carlisle.
Ian Long was a machine gunner who received numerous awards, including a Navy Unit Commendation, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Combat Action Ribbon, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon X2, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and NATO Medal – ISAF Afghanistan.
He was deployed to Afghanistan on November 16, 2010 through June 14, 2011. . . .
There were mental health troubles apparent in the shooter’s background that emerged on the radar of authorities last spring.
The sheriff said that there were “several contacts” with Ian Long over the years. In April, an incident occurred in which Ian David Long was described by a neighbor as screaming and banging on the walls in the home where he lived, NBC reported. The neighbor called 911 thinking that Long was violent and possibly trying to hurt himself. . . .
Although mental health professionals evaluated him, they did not take him into custody, the sheriff revealed in a news conference. . . .
The sheriff said those specialists “met with him, talked to him, cleared him. They didn’t feel he was qualified to be taken” into custody. “He was left at that scene last April.” He added, “The mental health experts cleared him that day.” . . .
Despite the disturbing April incident, his neighbor told NBC News that Long was a Dodgers baseball fan and had girlfriends over the years.
Long lived with his mother, according to multiple news reports.

The possibility of post-traumatic stress disorder as a factor may explain what happened, but it may be as simple as a young man frustrated by his personal problems. Having entered the Marines at age 18 and served more than four years before getting out of the service, Long may have had trouble adjusting to civilian life. Whatever the motive, it does not appear to be political, and thus this act was not terrorism, per se.

PREVIOUSLY: #Borderline Massacre: 12 Killed, Gunman Dead at Country Music Bar in California.

 

Category: Crime

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