Shooter posted on social media during California bar massacre
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, according to law enforcement officials.
Also, one of the possibilities investigators are looking into is whether gunman Ian David Long believed his former girlfriend would be at the bar.
Authorities have not determined a motive for Wednesday night’s rampage at the Borderline Bar and Grill.
Long, a 28-year-old former Marine and 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.
Authorities in Thousand Oaks described an assault of military efficiency.
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.” A mental health specialist who assessed Long after sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about his agitated behaviour last spring worried he might be suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.