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Snowling entered the bar and restaurant with two handguns and immediately shot his wife, who was seeking a divorce, and a woman she was sharing a meal with, Barnes said.
“Mr. Snowling, the suspect, then began randomly shooting at patrons within Cook’s Corner,” Barnes said. He then moved to an outside area, Barnes said.
The woman who was with Snowling’s wife died later. Two other men were also killed, Barnes said.
Six other people were shot, two of whom were in critical condition Thursday, officials said. All are stable.
Snowling’s wife was shot and injured, but she was conscious and speaking, Barnes said.
Cook’s Corner is popular with motorcyclists and advertises itself as one of the oldest biker bars in Southern California, but officials said it is also a family gathering place and a beloved part of the community.
Bar patron Betty Fruichantie said she and the suspect’s wife didn’t initially move when the shots were fired.
“We thought, I thought it was just firecrackers,” Fruichantie told NBC Los Angeles. “She didn’t say anything. People were getting shot. People were getting shot.”
Snowling was a sergeant with the Ventura Police Department before he retired around a decade ago, according to the department. He worked in the oceanside town from July 1986 through February 2014.
He was also president of the union and worked a variety of duties for the department, including patrol, traffic and homeless outreach.
“He just had very normal career, nothing really else to report,” Ventura Police Cmdr. Sarah Heard said.
A friend of Snowling’s wife, who was with her at the bar Wednesday night, said she had filed for divorce against Snowling.
Ventura County Superior Court records show that the divorce proceedings started Dec. 21 and that the matter was still ongoing.
