On the evening of Wednesday, August 23, 2023, a mass shooting occurred at the Cook's Corner bar in Trabuco Canyon, California. Three people were killed and six others were wounded before the gunman, 59-year-old former Ventura police officer John Snowling, was shot and killed by responding law enforcement officers.
Snowling entered the bar and shot his estranged wife, Marie Snowling, in the face. Police received reports of shots fired between approximately 6:40 and 7:00 pm PDT, and more than 50 first-response vehicles reportedly attended the scene. Despite her injury, Marie Snowling survived. Her dining companion, 49-year-old Tonya Clark, was also shot inside the bar; she was able to walk outside afterward but subsequently died. Snowling continued shooting at other patrons inside the bar, including members of a band that was performing, two of whom sustained minor injuries.
Snowling, who was initially armed with two handguns, left the bar to retrieve an additional handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun from his silver Toyota Tundra pickup truck parked in the lot outside. While outside, he shot and killed two additional patrons, 53-year-old Glen Sprowl Jr. and 67-year-old John Leehey. Responding Orange County Sheriff's deputies shot and killed Snowling at his pickup truck. At least 75 spent casings from police firearms were recovered from the scene, and it was determined that seven deputies discharged their weapons at Snowling; patrol units were struck by his gunfire during the exchange.
Background information on the perpetrator indicates that John Patrick Snowling was born January 15, 1964, and spent his early childhood in Quincy, Massachusetts, before his family moved to Goleta, California, in 1973. He attended Dos Pueblos High School from 1979 to 1982 and became a reserve officer with the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department in 1982. He joined the Ventura Police Department in 1986 and served until his retirement in February 2014, reaching the rank of sergeant. During his 27-year career he served as president of the Ventura Police Officers' Association, worked as a motorcycle officer, and served as a field training officer. Because the Ventura Police Department destroyed personnel records after five years, it could not be determined whether any disciplinary actions had been taken against him during his tenure.
Snowling married Marie in late 1998 or early 1999. The couple lived in Camarillo, California, until they separated in November 2020. Marie filed for divorce in December 2022 and subsequently moved to Orange County, while Snowling relocated to Heath, Ohio. The couple had two adult children at the time of the shooting.
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