On Wednesday night, Aug. 23, a shooting occurred at Cook’s Corner, a well-known biker bar in the Trabuco Canyon area of Orange County, California, leaving four people dead, including the alleged shooter.

The incident was reported shortly after 7 pm, prompting a response from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. 

Deputies arrived on the scene within minutes and confronted the male suspect, who was armed with two shotguns and randomly shooting. John Snowling, 59, a retired Ventura police sergeant, was shot and killed during the confrontation.

Orange County Undersheriff Jeff Hallock said, “We’ve retrieved at least one weapon from the site and are currently investigating claims that the shooter had ties to law enforcement.”

The four people who lost their lives were identified as Tonya Clark, 49, from Scottsdale Arizona, Glen Sprowl Jr., 53, of Stanton, California, and John Leehey, 67, of Irvine, California. The injured were transported to a nearby trauma center. 

The Orange County Fire Authority reported that five of the injured sustained gunshot wounds. Of these, two are in critical condition, while the others are stable.

The incident began with a domestic dispute between the gunman and his estranged wife, Marie Snowling, when he walked into the bar and opened fire on her and her dining companion. Marie was wounded, her companion was killed. It has been suggested that in the Snowling’s bitter divorce proceedings, Marie would have received half of her husband’s $117,000 pension. Snowling, who was living in Ohio, drove to California and targeted the bar where his wife was a regular.

The bar was relatively crowded at the time of the incident, with estimates suggesting around 30 to 40 patrons were present for a rock music show. Authorities plan to interview a number of witnesses.

Cook’s Corner is located about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles, in the Santa Ana Mountains’ foothills, in the Trabuco Canyon community.