Four people, including the suspect, are dead and six others are in hospital after a gunman opened fire at a historic biker bar in Trabuco Canyon.
Officers said the shooting started kitchenette in the 19000 block of Santiago Canyon Road.
Authorities say officers shot the suspect. The shooter is dead, but it is unclear whether the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound or from one of the officers.
Sources told KCAL News the incident began as a domestic dispute between a retired law enforcement officer and his wife.
The altercation escalated and at least nine people were shot.
According to the OCSD, authorities first received reports of a shooting at Cook’s Corner at 7:04 p.m. and arrived at the bar two minutes later. Officers shot the gunman at 7:08 p.m
According to officers, six people were hospitalized, at least five of whom had gunshot wounds. Doctors are treating two people in critical condition and four others in stable condition, according to Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo.
KCAL news
Based on source information, KCAL News believes the shooter was a retired Ventura Police Department sergeant. He started his career in 1984 and retired in February 2014.
A large police force was on the scene.
No deputies were injured. Police have asked people to stay away from the area. Authorities have issued a SigAlert for the El Toro Road leading to Santiago Canyon and Cook’s Corner.
Police have set up a command center at Saddleback Church. The FBI will also assist with the investigation.
Supervisor Katrina Foley posted a message Twitter“My heart was broken when I heard of yet another senseless mass shooting, this time in our own backyard.”
According to the Cook’s Corner website, the bar is “considered one of the most famous biker bars and restaurants in Southern California.”
“We have experienced major earthquakes, wildfires, floods, recessions and other disasters,” the bar wrote on its website. “We went through them all and came out stronger.”
Today, between 4 and 8 p.m., the establishment hosted a spaghetti night special. It’s unclear how many people were in Cook’s Corner when the gunman started firing.
Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys Operations Manager Wendy Koro says Cook’s Corner is a “legendary landmark” with the law firm helping the bar build a stage.
“The public in general might have the wrong impression that this is a rough place with lots of drinking and partying and you know, decent people don’t go there,” Koro said. “It really couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Koro added that the location is the “heart of Orange County’s riding community.”
This is an evolving story. Come back for more details.
