Vigil for restaurant mass shooting victims

Hundreds of mourners gathered on Thursday evening to remember the dozen people shot and killed by a marine veteran at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks the night before.

Among the 12 people were killed was Ventura County Sheriff ’s Sergeant Ron Helus, a 29-year veteran nearing retirement who responded to reports of shots fired and was gunned down as he entered the bar.

He and other first responders “ran toward danger”, Sheriff Geoff Dean said at the vigil.

“When I told her (his wife) that we had lost her hero, I said to her, ‘Because of Ron, many lives were saved’,” Mr Dean said. “And she looked at me through her tears and she said, ‘He would have wanted it that way’.”

Andy Fox, the city’s outgoing mayor, said: “Tonight Thousand Oaks takes its place with those cities, who in order to move forward will rely on hope. We are Thousand Oaks strong.”