Sheriff’s Department Serves Warrant at Residence Registered to Orange County Mass Shooter

CAMARILLO, CA, Aug. 24 (KNN) — Orange County Sheriff’s Department SWAT officers and detectives served a search warrant around 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the registered residence of the suspect involved in the mass shooting Wednesday evening at an Orange County bar.

The home on the 4500 block of El Capitan Place in the city of Camarillo is the last known registered address for John Snowling, the identified suspect – a retired police officer – involved in the mass shooting at popular Cook’s Corner bar and restaurant located in the Orange County close-knit community of Trabuco Canyon.

Snowling was fatally shot by deputies who quickly responded to the reported shooting incident shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday on the 19100 block of Santiago Canyon Road.

During a press conference Thursday, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes spoke of the swift response by a coordinated effort with the Orange County Fire Authority upon arrival at the dangerous mass shooting situation. Deputies quickly located the shooter, ending the shooting spree, and injured victims were immediately transported by ambulance to Mission Hospital for urgent medical care.

Sheriff Barnes stated this is still a very active investigation and will take some time to complete. Body cam footage of the incident is due to be released soon.

Barnes said the suspect knew his wife would be at the location and had traveled from Ohio. The motive is unknown because the suspect is deceased, but what is known from interviewing witnesses is that Snowling arrived at the location, walked directly to his wife without any dialogue, argument or discussion and immediately fired upon her striking her once and then immediately fired upon the woman who was joining his wife for dinner. She was struck at least once and later succumbed to her injuries when she exited the establishment onto the roadway.

Dr. Takeuchi, Medical Director at Providence Mission Hospital spoke at the press conference and reported on the conditions of the injured patients transported to the hospital Wednesday evening. All six patients were struck by gunfire, Takeuchi said. Two are in critical condition, and the rest were treated at the hospital.

Currently, all patients are stable, with one patient released from the hospital and still receiving active treatment, according to Takeuchi.

One of the patients is Snowling’s wife.

“Orange County is a place that loves its law enforcement, its firefighters and its first responders, we support them. We don’t denounce them here in Orange County. And let last night be a lesson to everybody else in America who has been tearing down law enforcement to understand this is exactly why we need them because they stop danger, they protect us, and they care, they care deeply. God bless them,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer at the press conference.

Gabriel Pabon, Video Journalist / KNN