"We have no idea what the motive was at this point". Mental health specialists talked to him and didn't feel he qualified to be detained under the state's "5150" mental health detention law, Dean said. The sheriff said officers were told he might have PTSD because of his military service.
Within seconds, the gunman burst into the bar and without a word, fired into the crowd with a Glock.45-caliber handgun. "So I wouldn't say I am less like to go out, but definitely more cautious".
"We do not know how many rounds were in the weapon", he said.
Long shot an unarmed security guard outside the bar before going inside, where he shot more security staff, CNN reported.
The witness, who escaped unharmed with his stepson, said he saw the gunman shoot multiple people.
"My stepdad dove and took cover and yelled at me, 'John, hit the deck! There's a fence right there so I said, 'Everyone get over the fence as quickly as you can.' And I followed them over". "And the gunman started opening fire on the cashiers, the people working the cash register on the front desk".
By the time officers entered the bar again, the gunfire had stopped, according to the sheriff. "This is a safe place. I just wanted to get down as soon as I heard the first shot go off". "I don't know how I survived because at any moment, I could have been shot". Thousand Oaks was considered the third-safest city in the USA this year, according to Niche, an online company that provides data on neighborhoods, companies and schools.