Gunfire at Cook’s Corner in Southern California kills four

A shooting Wednesday after 7 pm at Cook’s Corner, which calls itself the oldest motorcycle bar in Southern California, killed three people, including the perpetrator, and wounded five others, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said.

The biker bar in rural Trabuco Canyon in Orange County has become a community gathering spot for a wide range of people. Scores of motorcycle riders and enthusiasts flock to the place every day for live music, spaghetti night or just a cold beer after a long ride.

The gunman was killed just four minutes after the first report of the brutal incident came in to authorities, who reached the crime scene within a couple of minutes and tackled the shooter, Orange County Sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Gonzalez said.

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The suspect reportedly worked as a retired police officer with the Ventura Police Department from 1986 to 2014. In a news conference hours after the incident, Orange County Undersheriff Jeff Hallock said authorities were still interviewing witnesses and gathering information.

He didn’t provide details about the shooter or how the crime unfolded. Four people were pronounced dead on the scene, with six others rushed to the hospital, including five with gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s department posted on X, previously called Twitter.

Hours before the shooting, several riders were stopping by the bar for a meal or an afternoon drink. California Governor Gavin Newsom was monitoring the developments and “coordinating with local officials as more details become available,” his office mentioned on the platform.