Gunman posted about mental state during bar attack

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The gunman who killed 12 people at a country-music bar in Southern California went on social media during the attack and posted about his mental state and whether people would believe he was sane, a law enforcement official said Friday.

Also, one of the possibilities investigators are looking into is whether gunman Ian David Long believed a former girlfriend would be at the bar, the official said.

Authorities have not determined a motive for Wednesday’s night rampage at the Borderline Bar & Grill.

The official — who was briefed on the investigation but spoke on condition of anonymity — would not give additional details on what the 28-yearold former Marine posted on his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Long, a former machine gunner who served in Afghanistan, opened fire with a handgun during college night at the bar, then apparently killed himself as scores of police officers closed in.

As investigators worked to figure out what set him off, President Donald Trump blamed mental illness, describing the gunman as “a very sick puppy” who had “a lot of problems.”

Trump declined to engage on questions on whether the nation needs stricter gun-control laws.

Investigators have not commented on whether mental illness played a role in the rampage. But a mental-health specialist who assessed Long after police were called about his agitated behavior last spring worried he might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

All of the dead were indentified Friday. They were:

• Ron Helus, 59, a sergeant with the Ventura County sheriff’s office who was killed when he ran into the club to try to stop the attack.

• Cody Coffman, 22, was Ventura County sheriff’s Capt. Garo Kuredjian, left, embraces chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team as they pray Friday near the site of Wednesday’s mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

talking with Army recruiters about serving his country. He, too, was credited with trying to save lives during the attack.

• Justin Meek, 23, a recent graduate of California Lutheran University who performed as a singer and worked at the Borderline.

• Alaina Housley, 18, a promising student at Pepperdine University with plans to study law. She was a niece of Adam Housley, a former

Fox News correspondent, and actress Tamera Mowry-Housley (“Sister Sister.)

• Noel Sparks, a 21-year-old art student at nearby Moorpark College. She often went to Borderline with friends and her mom.

• Sean Adler, 48, a security guard at Borderline who would stay late to ensure people could get home safely, said Debbie Allen, a longtime friend.

• Telemachus Orfanos, 27, a survivor of the mass shooting in Las Vegas last year who died inside Borderline, less than 10 minutes from his home.

• Marky Meza Jr., 20, a busboy and food runner at the bar who was less than two weeks from his 21st birthday.

• Daniel Manrique, 33, who dedicated his life to service — as a hospital volunteer, U.S. Marine and manager of an organization that helps veterans adjust after leaving the military.

• Blake Dingman, 21, a fixture in the Ventura County off-roading community. He went to the Borderline with his friend Jake Dunham, who also was killed.

• Jake Dunham, 21, was an off-roader who was a regular at rides in the desert and at group bonfires made from igniting vehicles and old dirt bikes, according to a friend.

• Kristina Morisette, 20, worked at the front desk of Borderline and had just bought her first car — a 2017 Jeep Renegade — with the money she had saved, her father said.