Napa teen among 12 killed in attack
In August, Alaina Housley packed her bags and left her childhood home in Napa. She was following in her father and mother’s footsteps all the way to Pepperdine University in Malibu to start her first year of college.
But on Wednesday night, her dreams of pursuing music and becoming a lawyer ended abruptly when a masked gunman entered a bar in Thousand Oaks (Ventura County), tossed a smoke bomb into the crowd of college students and fatally shot 12 people, including Housley. The shooter then turned the gun on himself.
“She had been down here for only a few months. There’s no words. She deserved better,” said her uncle, Adam Housley. “We lost a lot of good ones today, and one happened to be my niece. She could have accomplished so much.”
A man dressed in a black mask and black clothing walked into the dance hall about 11:20 p.m. and began shooting, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department. He used a handgun that had an extended magazine.
The suspect, identified as Ian David Long, 28, was a former Marine, who may have suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome and was found dead by authorities.
The motive for the shooting is under investigation.
Housley’s father, Arik Housley, posted on Facebook on Thursday morning that he hadn’t been able to get ahold of his 18-year-old daughter and was heading to Los Angeles.
On Wednesday, Housley had gone line dancing with her friends that night at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, which was hosting line dancing classes for people, ages 18 and up.
When she didn’t answer her phone, her family knew something was wrong, Adam Housley said.
“You just can’t believe that somebody at 18 years old is gone,” said family member Gene Housley. “That’s tough to take. It’s just kind of a shock.”
Housley graduated with honors from Vintage High School in Napa, where her mother is a teacher.
Family members remembered her as a nurturing woman with a bright future.
During her last year of high school, Housley sang and played ukelele in the school’s talent show, Adam Housley said.
“All of us were like, ‘Where the hell did that come from?’ ” he said.
But her family was used to her surprising them with her smarts, he added.
Housley was an avid reader who finished the Harry Potter series when she was just 7 years old. Her love of books is what compelled her to major in English at Pepperdine. She also was taking an interest in choral music at the school.
“She was so talented,” Adam Housley said. “Every once in a while she would smart off and correct me.”
Pepperdine tweeted Thursday, “Our hearts are broken with the news of this profound loss. We offer our deepest condolences to the Housley family and ask that our community join us in keeping Alaina’s family, friends, and loved ones in their prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
The superintendent of the Napa Unified School District, Rosanna Mucetti, released a statement expressing heartbreak.
“Her family, parents Hannah and Arik and brother Alex, are well loved and connected to many of us,” she said.
“There are no words that are sufficient at a time like this, but we remain a strong, caring community who will join together to enfold the Housleys and their friends with support,” Mucetti said.
Housley’s family has operated Ranch Market Napa since 1976. They opened a second store in Yountville in 1977. After Housley’s father graduated from Pepperdine in 1996, he returned home to take over the family business.
When the Wine Country fires swept through the region in October 2017, Housley’s grandparents had to evacuate from their homes, but that didn’t stop them from helping their neighbors, Adam Housley said.
“They do so much for the community, it’s amazing to see the community reach out to them and to us,” Adam Housley said. “But at the same time, God you wish it wasn’t us. You wish it was nobody.”
In addition to helping families in times of need, the Housleys have sponsored Little League and soccer teams for nearly 40 years, Adam Housley said.
And last year, Housley coached one of the soccer teams, he said.
Adam Housley said he was walking on the street in their hometown after Housley had left for school when a neighbor stopped him and asked if he was her uncle.
“They said, ‘Aw man, she coached our child’s soccer team last year . ... She was such a great coach, they loved playing for her and they loved practicing for her every day. Tell her thank you,’ ” he said.
“We lost a lot of good ones today, and one happened to be my niece. She could have accomplished so much.” Adam Housley, Alaina’s uncle
Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani