Former Police Officer Unleashes Horror at Trabuco Canyon Bar: Three Dead and Six Injured

A gunman who killed three people on Wednesday night at a popular local bar in Trabuco Canyon and injured six others, including his estranged wife, was a former police officer, according to authorities. The Orange County Sheriff's Department identified the shooter as John Snowling, a retired police sergeant from Ventura. When 59-year-old John Snowling arrived at Cook's Corner, his target was his wife, who was a regular customer at the bar on Santiago Canyon Road. He shot at her and then began "randomly shooting," Sheriff Don Barnes said on Thursday afternoon. Snowling entered the bar around 7 p.m. on Wednesday during their $8 spaghetti night, a family event, armed with two guns, Barnes said. The retired police officer approached his wife and immediately shot her, injuring her, then he shot the woman he was dining with. That woman, who has not been identified, later died. There was no conversation or discussion that preceded Snowling's shooting of his estranged wife, Barnes said. "Mr. Snowling... then began shooting randomly at customers inside Cook's Corner," Barnes said. "That progressed to the outside area." At one point, Snowling returned to his truck in an upper parking lot, where he was confronted by a man from the bar, whom Snowling also shot, Barnes said. That man, who has not been identified either, later died. When deputies arrived, within two minutes of the first 911 call, they found Snowling in the parking lot, Barnes said. The former police officer began shooting at the deputies, hitting multiple law enforcement vehicles. A shootout ensued, and "it was the deputies' gunfire that ultimately took Snowling's life," Barnes said. Todd Spitzer, Orange County district attorney, said seven deputies opened fire, shooting at least 75 rounds. After the shooting, deputies recovered four guns that Snowling had brought to the scene: two pistols, a revolver, and a shotgun, Barnes said. All were legally acquired. Barnes identified one of the men who died as 67-year-old John Leehey of Irvine. He did not identify the other two who died, as authorities have not yet notified the families. The six people who were injured in the shooting were taken to Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo on Wednesday night. Two were in critical condition, a man shot in the chest and a woman shot in the jaw, according to hospital spokesperson James Chisum. It was confirmed on Thursday that the woman, believed to be Snowling's estranged wife, Marie Snowling, was transferred overnight to UC Irvine Medical Center. The other four injured, all males, were in stable condition, Chisum said. One was discharged from the hospital Wednesday night, and it was expected that two others with minor injuries would be discharged on Thursday. A fourth man, injured in the arm, would likely undergo surgery on Thursday. There were no children or deputies injured in the shooting. The Sheriff's Department confirmed that Snowling's wife was among the injured. Mark Johnson, the pianist for the Orange County band that was playing at the bar on Wednesday night, said two members of the M-Street Band "were injured and hospitalized but were stable." Johnson, drummer Brian Lynch, and singer Debbie Johnson said in a video that guitarist Ed Means and bassist Dave Stretch were in the hospital. Lynch said "everyone would be fine." Authorities declined to identify the other injured victims. Barnes said investigators were still looking for a motive. Snowling, who used to share a home with his wife in Camarillo, had been living more recently in Ohio, Barnes said. He had recently returned to Southern California, and it was not immediately clear if he followed his estranged wife to the bar or found out that she was going there, Barnes said. On Thursday morning, heavily armed Orange County sheriff's deputies surrounded Snowling's house in the Camarillo neighborhood on El Capitan Place, not far from Adolfo Camarillo High School. Deputies ordered any occupants to come out as they prepared to execute a search warrant. There were two vehicles in the driveway, but no one came out. It was not immediately clear what the agents seized or what they were expecting to find in the search. Snowling worked for the Ventura Police Department from 1986 to 2014, rising to the rank of sergeant, according to a department spokesperson. He served as president of the city's police union in 2008 and 2009, records show. In December 2022, Marie Snowling filed for divorce, writing that she had been separated from her husband for two years, according to court documents. The couple had been married almost 32 years when they separated in November 2020, her attorney wrote, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the separation. The court record contains no allegations of discord or abuse. In February, John Snowling was served with divorce papers in Newark, Ohio, records show. He had not yet responded to his wife's petition. His attorney, Tristan Tegroen, said he was surprised by Wednesday's shooting, given how measured and fair the divorce proceedings had been thus far. Tegroen noted that he is used to heated divorces but said that with the Snowlings, "there was none of that, none whatsoever." As lawyers in the case identified and valued their assets, Marie Snowling did not seek a restraining order against her husband, nor did she make any accusations of abuse or say she was afraid of him, Tegroen said. Tegroen did not get the impression that any particular issue had triggered the separation, just that both felt their marriage had come to an end. "John was living in Ohio, and she was here, and they lived apart," he said. "Frankly, this was a horrible shock to me," Tegroen said. "There was nothing on the radar suggesting that he might do this." Marie Snowling's attorney, Kenneth Henjum, said his team was awaiting more information about her condition. "The Snowling family is in shock over last night's events and requests privacy," Henjum said in a statement. James Goldsmith, 68, lived two doors down from the Snowlings in Camarillo for over two decades. Marie Snowling moved to live with her ailing mother in Orange County a few years ago, he said, adding that he knew the couple was going through "marital issues" but never heard any arguments or saw police coming because of domestic disputes. "John was always a little bit distant," Goldsmith said. "He wasn't the kind of neighbor you would get that warm, comforting feeling from." He described Marie Snowling as an "absolute sweetheart." She was the more outgoing of the couple, according to Goldsmith. Goldsmith didn't know if Marie had a new partner but said she often posted on Facebook about her life after filing for divorce. "I think she wanted to have friends and live her life, and that's why I think she made the move she made," Goldsmith said. "It's sad that he couldn't allow that and let her live her own life." Snowling had recently purchased a house in Ohio and stayed there most of the time, Goldsmith said. He saw him return a few months ago to do some maintenance work on the house, he said. Marie Snowling had moved to a mobile home community in... Originally posted at Abogados de Accidentes