Three people were killed and several others wounded as a gunman opened fire at a popular Southern California biker bar, the Associated Press reports. Authorities arrived at Cook’s Corner in Orange County’s rural Trabuco Canyon within two minutes of the first report of a shooting, and the gunman was soon dead, Orange County Sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Gonzalez said. Three other people were also pronounced dead at the scene. Six others were taken to the hospital, five of them with gunshot wounds, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department posted on social media.
The gunman was a retired officer with the Ventura Police Department, Commander Mike Brown said the department was told by Orange County authorities. He worked at the agency from 1986 to 2014, Brown said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom was monitoring the shooting “and coordinating with local officials as more details become available,” his office tweeted. Cook’s Corner has been a place for motorcyclists to gather for live music and open-mic nights. It calls itself the oldest motorcycle bar in Southern California and hosts a regular Wednesday spaghetti night, with a band. Hours before the shooting, rows of motorcycles and bikes framed the gravel entrance where plaques describe the bar’s history. It has become known as a community gathering spot for a wide range of people.
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