Borderline Shooting – What Happened & What Can You Do?

AEGIS, a Los Angeles-based company, extends its sincere condolences to the families, friends and loved ones to the victims of the Borderline Bar & Grill shooting. The Borderline is a local favorite in Thousand Oaks, CA, providing fun country-themed dancing and atmosphere. Last night, a gunman entered the club and opened fire, killing 12 and injuring at least a 21 more, then taking his own life. Wednesday night was College Night and included youths as young as 18 years old.

The first flood of calls hit 911 dispatchers around 11:20 p.m., minutes after the gunman forced his way into the bar and immediately opened fire. It’s been reported that the suspect deployed smoke bombs or smoke grenades, a tactic last seen in 2012 in Aurora, Colorado’s movie theater shooting. CNN has been covering the story since it broke — follow it here. Victims broke through windows, hid in bathrooms, took cover in the attic, and jumped over each other to escape. Multiple off-duty LAPD unarmed officers were present as were several paramedics, enjoying the evening.

The gunman has been identified as Marine veteran Ian David Long. Of the 12 victims, one has been identified as Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus. Sgt. Helus was one of the first officers through the door in responding to Borderline. The remaining victims’ families are being notified, and their information will be released upon family consent.

An emergency information hotline has been set up to help locate people involved in the shooting at 805-465-6650. A reunification area has been established at Thousand Oaks Teen Center, located at 1375 E. Janss Rd.

Los Robles Hospital is in need of blood donors, especially those with O negative blood, for patients in critical condition. A blood drive is being held at La Reina High School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and appointments can be made by calling 877-25-VITAL.

AEGIS Security & Investigations offers active shooter training programs specifically designed for our clients – schools, churches, temples, businesses, government agencies, bars, and nightclubs. We analyze each and every incident and constantly improve our active shooter training programs and continue to improve them to prevent future shootings in similar settings.

The civilian active shooter training provided by AEGIS is intended to build on “run, hide, fight,” the long-standing method of increasing your personal resiliency in these types of incidents. One hour lectures provide fundamental knowledge, while 2.5, 4, and 8 hour programs deliver content designed to identify vulnerabilities, report suspicious behavior, improve security protocols, and react faster. Each course is custom tailored dependent on the needs of the organization and participants. Our most highly sought after workplace violence training program is our four hour program where participants begin with a lecture and training, work through table top scenarios, and then are taught hands on how to respond to attacks, refining their skills by the end of the workshop.

Whether an announcement is made or you hear the actual gun shots, the first choice is run. If you can get out of range of the active shooter and to safety, do so immediately. Leave your personal items and find a safe place quickly and quietly. Such a space needs to be out of range of the gun fire and any other potential danger related to the active shooter situation. Once you are safe, help others by preventing them from going toward the the location of the shooter. Call 911 and give them as much information as possible: provide a description of the shooter, a location of the shooter, weapons they are using, if known, and the amount of ammunition that has been used, if known.

If you cannot run, you have to hide. Unlike a fire drill where you have to drop cover and hold, or an earthquake drill where you have to take cover under sturdy tables or desks, you need to find sturdy cover and concealment. Remember there is a difference between cover and concealment. If it’s not thick and sturdy made of durable material, chances are you can hide from the bullets, but you can’t stop them. Find a room, whether it is a closet, office, classroom, or break room, and lock and barricade the door. Go somewhere where you won’t be seen. Silence your cell phone and turn off the lights.

If you cannot run or hide and danger is imminent, you have to fight. Work with other people around you to attack from all sides. Improvise weapons and use whatever you can find to stab, slash, strike, or amplify your attack. Fight with everything you have. Do not stop until the attacker is neutralized

When law enforcement officers arrive, they will not stop to help you or other victims. Their single task is to find and neutralize the active shooter. If you can walk out on your own, do so. They’ll point you in the right direction. Wait for other police officers outside in a safe place.

Creating and practicing emergency and active shooter plans in Los Angeles can mean the difference between surviving an attack and being a victim. A professional security consultant in Los Angeles can help your organization protect itself.

This type of training can help your facility avoid and respond to tragedy like last night’s shooting at Borderline Bar & Grill. While we cannot stop active shooters (though politicians are actively campaigning various ways to approach this growing social problem), we can prepare for the worse and reduce their success rate by learning and remembering to run, hide, fight.

AEGIS Security & Investigations is a Los Angeles region company that is licensed and insured in the State of California to provide high-end armed and unarmed regular and temporary off-duty police officers, bodyguards, security officers, loss prevention agents, and event staff. Additionally, we offer services for private investigation, consultation, people locates, and background investigations. Our trainings and workshops in the field of security licensure and counter-terrorism have been featured in news media and are renowned for their efficacy. For more information or to contact us, visit www.aegis.com.

By Chelsea Turner & Jeff Zisner