Gun culture continues in America, this time in California. The venue was the crowded Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks and the occasion was a university student night. There were around 200 people present when a gunman barged in and began to unleash terror among the people, leaving twelve dead. The identity of the man is known and he is a 28-year-old US Marine Corps veteran and a local resident named Ian David Long. Long died by suspected self-inflicted wounds.

BBC reports that police believe the gunman suffered from mental health issues.

He was dressed in black and forced his way inside after shooting the bouncer. A program of college country music was in progress and witnesses say he threw a smoke bomb first and then began to fire. His weapon was a semi-automatic handgun.

The horrors of gun violence

The Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, is located in close proximity to a couple of universities and educational institutions and conducts country music events on Wednesday nights. It is very popular with the youth. There was pandemonium and people trampled over others as they tried to get out of the line of fire.

Some of them broke windows to escape while some ran into the toilets.

In the words of Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean, it was a terrible scene with "blood everywhere." His deputy died when he had made an effort to intervene and save lives. President Donald Trump praised the police and described the incident of gun violence in California as "terrible." In recent times, a man shot dead people in a yoga studio in Florida, while in a second case, a gunman shot and killed 11 devotees in a synagogue in Pittsburgh.

A night of joy turns into one of terror

When there is a firearm in action in a crowded place, there will be casualties. That is what happened in the bar in California when a night of joy suddenly transformed into one of death and terror. According to CBS News, the trigger-happy 28-year-old gunman let loose bullet after bullet into the crowd and killed twelve.

The bar is located 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Authorities are investigating and trying to establish the motive.

There appears to be no letup in incidents of gun violence in the United States and the administration struggles to evolve a suitable mechanism to ensure that firearms do not fall into wrong hands. Strict gun control to prevent the killing of innocents is called for by various organizations and activists, including the younger generation.
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