Thousand Oaks Shooting Victims Remembered

THOUSAND OAKS, CA — Heartbreak gripped the community around Thousand Oaks Thursday as families sought out missing loved ones after a gunman opened fire into a crowd of hundreds on college night at the Borderline Bar & Grill, killing 12 people and himself.

Many of the victims were young adults, and their families searched for gut-wrenching hours only to learn they were dead. Still, many others are alive today thanks to the heroism of others, including a Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy who gave his life to stop the massacre. It’s an American horror that many of the survivors lived through once before during last year’s Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas where a gunman killed 58 people. The Borderline is where thousands gathered last year to raise funds for five locals killed in the Vegas tragedy.

The victims whose names have been released and confirmed include: Ventura County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Ron Helus, Sean Adler, Cody Coffman, Blake Dingman, Jake Dunham, Alaina Housely, Daniel Manrique, Justin Meek, Mark Meza, Kristina Morisette, Telemachus "Tel" Orfanos and Noel Sparks.

RON HELUS

Sgt. Ron Helus, 54, was on the phone with his wife when he got the call that would end his watch at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

He arrived within a few minutes of the initial call, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, and was the first one inside the Bar and Grill. He was shot multiple times, gunned down trying to help others.

“(Ron Helus) was a mentor to so many young deputies, and was a true hero,” Captain Garo Kuredjian of the Ventura County Sheriff’s department said of Helus. “He trained extensively for active shooting scenarios. His actions no doubt saved the lives of others whom he didn’t even know.”

A law enforcement procession in honor of Helus lined freeways Thursday afternoon.

“We will never forget the sacrifice that he made,” Kuredjian said. “We will be there for his family, as he was there for us.”

SEAN ADLER

Sean Adler, 47, a Simi Valley High School Wrestling Coach, was working at the Borderline Bar and Grill to make extra money, according to his family. Adler also owned a coffee shop which he opened earlier in 2018. His family says that he tried to disarm the gunman when he was shot.

In a recent interview by the Simi Valley Acorn, he discussed his new venture.

“When you’re passionate about what you do, it doesn’t feel like work; that’s what Rivalry Roasters is for me,” he said. “It’s not always easy to make ends meet, and I even work security at bars at night to help cover expenses, but I love what I’m doing.”

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

CODY COFFMAN

Father Jason Coffman received the news confirming that his son Cody Coffman was one of the 13 killed overnight. Cody died at the scene.

“Cody was my first-born son,” he spoke through tears. “This is a heart wrenching time for my family. I just pray for everyone else who is going through this.”

Cody Coffman, a graduate of Camarillo High School, had just turned 22 and was in the process of joining the army, according to his father. He was a head umpire for the Camarillo Pony Baseball league. Cody Coffman is survived by his parents, three young brothers, and another sister, Aurora, who will be born later in November.

“I talked with Cody last night before he left,” Jason Coffman told reporters. “The first thing I said was, ‘son, don’t drink and drive.’ The last thing I said was, ‘I love you.’”

BLAKE DINGMAN

Blake Dingman was identified by friends as a victim of the Borderline Bar and Grill mass shooting, Wednesday. He was a resident of Newbury Park.

He was a baseball player, and a "magnetic personality," his former baseball coach from Thousand Oaks High School said. "He loved the game of baseball, and he loved his friends and family even more."

A friend said of the shooting that took Blake's life:

"This doesn't happen in Thousand Oaks... these senseless shootings need to stop."

Jake Dunham, 21, also a resident of Newbury Park, was positively identified by his parents as a victim in the mass shooting, according to ABC7.

ALAINA HOUSELY

The Pepperdine freshman and graphic design student died in the shooting, according to a statement from her aunt, “Sister Sister” star Tamera Mowry-Housely. Alaina Housely, 18, was a Napa resident, and graduate of Vintage Hills High School.

"Our hearts are broken. We just learned that our niece Alaina was one of the victims of last night’s shooting at Borderline bar in Thousand Oaks," she and husband, former Fox News correspondent Adam Housley, shared through their joint representative, Chantal Artur. "Alaina was an incredible young woman with so much life ahead of her and we are devastated that her life was cut short in this manner. We thank everyone for your prayers and ask for privacy at this time."

DANIEL MANRIQUE

Daniel Manrique, 33, spent his entire adult life in military service, according to Gladys Manrique Koscak over Facebook. "He had just recently accepted a position with Team Red White and Blue as the Pacific Regional Program Manager," she said. Team Red, White and Blue is a nonprofit organization that supports combat veterans.

"I have no doubt that he died a hero, shielding others from gunshots. He will forever be our hero, son, brother and the best uncle anyone could ever ask for."

JUSTIN MEEK

Justin Meek, 23, was working as a bouncer at the Bar and Grill when the gunman opened fire. He was a recent Cal Lutheran University graduate, where he studied criminology and criminal justice and worked with Channel Island Social Services. Friends of Meek told reporters that he "threw a bar stool through a window" so that people trapped inside could get out.

“Meek heroically saved lives in the incident before his life was cut short,” Cal Lutheran said in a statement.

Meek was a resident of Coronado and a 2014 graduate of Coronado High School. A Facebook page has been established in his memory.

MARK MEZA

Mark Meza, 20, was a bus boy at the Borderline Bar and Grill and was working at the time of the shooting. He was a graduate of the Carpenteria High School.

"Mark was loved by many in our community," a statement from the Carpenteria School District read. "Please hold his family and friends in your hearts and thoughts at this difficult time."

KRISTINA MORISETTE

Kristina Kaylee Morisette was a Simi Valley native and was a student at Simi Valley High School.

"She was a sweet girl who cared for everyone," friend Brandon Bohning said over Twitter.

TELEMACHUS ORFANOS

Telemachus Orfanos was a survivor from the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival massacre in Las Vegas in 2017, according to his mother. She told the New York Times all that she wanted written was "Gun control. Right now."

A Thousand Oaks native, Telemachus Orfanos was called "Tel" by his friends. He grew up an Eagle Scout, was a Navy veteran and worked at the Borderline Bar and Grill, friends say.

NOEL SPARKS

The United Methodist Church of Westlake village confirmed that Noel Sparks, a youth leader for that church as well as a student at Moorpark College, perished in the shootings.

"We grieve with (her parents) Tony Sparks and Wendy Anderson," a church spokesperson said over Facebook.

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(AP Photo/Jonathan J. Cooper)