Eagle Scout, budding lawyer, father killed in an attack

One of them was a former policeman who did not hesitate to run to danger. Another art student was working with the children in her church. Others were a Navy veteran, a cappella singer who worked as a caregiver, and a security guard with a "great personality," known for his ability to make sure everyone go home safely.

They were part of a dozen people killed in a shootout at a Southern California country music bar. The authorities believe that the shooter,
Ian David Long
, is finally killed.

The stories of the victims began to emerge on Thursday. "It would be a very difficult day for many people," said Andrew Fox, Mayor of Thousand Oaks, California, where the attack occurred Wednesday night.

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RON HELUS: COP & # 39; S COP & # 39;

Ventura County Sheriff Sgt Ron Helus was talking to his wife when calls were made about a shootout at the Borderline Bar & Grill.

"Hey, I have to answer a call, I love you, I'll talk to you later," he says, according to Sheriff Geoff Dean.

It was the last time she was talking to her husband.

Helus rushed to
shooting
and immediately exchanged shots with the gunman inside the bar, Dean said. Helus was touched several times and died at the hospital.

Sgt. Eric Buschow, who said that Helus was a friend, described him as a "cop cop."

"The fact that he's the first in the door does not surprise me at all," he said. "It's just one of those guys who would not hesitate in a situation."

A few years ago, Helus started fly fishing and loved to practice his hobby in the mountains of Sierra Nevada with his adult son, said Buschow.

"He was just a good guy, a sweet soul," said Buschow. "Patient, calm down whatever happens … When you call 911, it's one of the guys you want to see."

Helus has been part of the SWAT team for a large part of his career and has worked in the field of narcotics and investigations, he said.

"If you are a victim of a crime, you want it to investigate the case," Buschow said. "He would go to the end of the Earth to find a suspect."

Thousands of people lined the streets and many others stopped to honor the deceased officer during a dark 40 – kilometer procession that transported Helus' s body from the streets. a hospital at a coroner's office.

Dean suppressed his tears as he talked about Helus and called him a hero.

"He went there to save people and paid the ultimate price," he said.

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CODY COFFMAN: "THE BIG BROTHER OF MY CHILDREN & # 39;

Cody Coffman, who has just turned 22, talks with army recruiters and is preparing to fulfill his dream of serving his country, said his father, Jason Coffman, who cried by informing a group of journalists that his eldest son was one of the victims.

Cody loved his brothers and sisters – three brothers between the ages of 6 and 9 – and he was eager to see a sister born on November 29, said Camarillo's Jason Coffman.

"Cody was the big brother my kids need," he said. "He was so excited to have his first sister and now she will never know it …"

He stopped sobbing then said, "Oh, Cody, I love you, my son."

He said his son was passionate about baseball, playing the role of referee for a small league, and that they went fishing together.

"This poor boy would come with me, whether he likes it or not," he said. "It's the kind of thing that I will really miss."

Jason Coffman said that he had spoken to his son on Wednesday night before Cody headed to the bar where the shooter opened fire.

"The first thing I said was:" Please, do not drink and drive, "he said. "The last thing I said was:" Son, I like you. "

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JUSTIN MEEK: "FULL OF LIGHT AND HAPPINESS"

A recent graduate of California Lutheran University, Justin Meek specializes in children with special needs, performs as a singer, and works at the Borderline Bar.

It's there that he "heroically saved lives" before he was killed, said Cal Lutheran president Chris Kimball in a statement. He did not provide details.

The campus chapel overflowed on Thursday with people attending a bereavement service. Meek, 23, graduated in criminal justice and graduated in May, said Karin Grennan school spokeswoman.

Since last summer, Meek has been working for Channel Island Social Services as a respite caregiver, providing support to families with children with special needs, mainly developmental disabilities, said Sharon Executive Director Francis.

"The parents loved him, he was able to bond with their children," she said. "He was just a complete guy."

Danielle Gallo, who also works for the family organization, said that it was dedicated to the children with whom he worked.

"You could say that he really had a heart for what he did," she sobbed.

Meek also performed a professional tour as a cappella singer, said Patrick Ellis, a family friend, who has qualified Meek as a talented musician, singer and athlete, and "a fantastic human being" .

"He was a hero every day of his life," said Ellis. "It was always positive energy … everything he could do for you, he was right there."

Meek was playing water polo for Cal Lutheran and had planned to go to San Diego next weekend for the retirement party of his father, a member of the Navy, the SEAL. Meek also worked at the bar with her sister and fellow Cal Luther student Victoria Rose Meek, who survived, Ellis said.

"The two iconic American children, very polite, highly educated and in good health," said Ellis about siblings.

As a student, Meek lent his full and velvety voice to the Cal Lutheran choir, where "whenever he sang, you could feel it in your soul," recalls Rachel Counihan, a member of the choir, 20 years old.

"He cared so much about his job and cared so much about others," she said. "He was just full of light and happiness."

Scott Roberts, a 20-year-old school student and friend of Victoria Rose Meek, had fond memories of her brother.

"He was just the nicest guy," said Roberts. "I just pray that it's in a better place."

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ALAINA HOUSLEY: "INCREDIBLE YOUNG WOMAN & # 39;

Alaina Housley was only 18 years old and a promising student at Pepperdine University, she was planning to study law, said her family.

Adam Housley, a former Fox News correspondent, and Tamera Mowry-Housley, a well-known actress in the 1990 television series "Sister Sister," said that their niece was killed at the bar where she went to dance online. friends.

"Alaina was an amazing young woman with so much life in front of her, and we are devastated by the fact that her life was shortened in this way," the couple said in a statement.

Alaina was brilliant, popular and beloved, a student who had earned an average of 4.5 points since high school and who had received university scholarships, said her grandfather, Art Housley.

She played football and tennis throughout high school, studied piano and violin, and sang, he said.

"He is a very good child," he said while fighting tears before his loved ones learned that their fear of death was real. "Everyone loves him."

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CHRISTMAS SPARKS: "A GOOD GIRL & # 39;

Noel Sparks, a 21-year-old student, loved going to the Borderline Bar & Grill. Friends and family were not surprised when she posted a picture of herself dancing Wednesday night.

Her aunt Patricia Sparks of Morristown, Tennessee, said the police informed Sparks' father Thursday that she had died as a result of the shooting.

"We are in shock," said Patricia Sparks at the Associated Press.

She described her niece as a "good girl as a whole." She was the kind of girl that if you had friends, you would want them to marry her. "

Sparks was a Borderline regular, where she spent Halloween and celebrated her 21st birthday in August. She often went there with friends and her mother.

When her friend Jackie Jones heard about the shooting, she jumped into her car and headed to the bar shortly after midnight. She was determined to find Sparks.

"She would do that for me," Jones said.

The two men met at the church two years ago and quickly became friends. Sparks was an artist and a leader in church activities. She specialized in art at the nearby college of Moorpark.

Sparks worked part time at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village. She has contributed to children's programs, said Reverend Shawn Thornton.

"She loved children.Many parents came to tell us today:" She made my child feel important and that they are important, "Thornton said. .

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SEAN ADLER: "A VERY, GREAT PERSONALITY"

Sean Adler, 48, was a Borderline security guard and would stay late so people could safely return home, said Debbie Allen, a long-time friend.

The married father of two boys died doing what he cared about – protecting people, Allen said.

"He was a very great personality and had a very very beautiful smile," she said, adding that he had already considered becoming a police officer. "I do not think I've known him in all the years, he's almost 30. I've heard him say no to someone."

Her other passion, she said, was coffee. Adler recently opened his own café, Rivalry Roasters, in Simi Valley, said Phil Englander, another longtime friend.

"He was just the most passionate person by the coffee you would like to meet," Englander said.

Adler joked that he was a "coffee shop" and spoke energetically while using his hands while people listened.

"He always had that energetic personality," he said. "He's just such a warm, friendly and passionate person about everything in his life."

Englander said that he had stopped Wednesday at the cafe to visit Adler.

"We talked about family and we recalled an old friend whom we had not seen for years," he said. "I woke up this morning to tragedy."

A vigil is organized for Adler Thursday night at the café. Another will take place on Friday to include family traveling from outside the city.

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TELEMACHUS ORFANOS: MARINE VETERAN NICKNAMED & # 39; TEL & # 39;

Telemachus Orfanos, 27, was a veteran of the US Navy with a thick beard, an easy smile and a gladiator helmet tattoo. His friends called him "Tel."

"Here are my words: I want gun control," said her mother, Susan Schmidt-Orfanos, her voice trembling with grief and rage after learning that her son had been killed. "I do not want prayers, I do not want thoughts."

She said Congress wanted Congress to "pass gun control so no one else has a child who does not come home."

The pictures on the Orfanos Facebook page show Eagle Scout with friends at the baseball game or at work. Some photos are embellished with patriotic graphics and another marks the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

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Taxine declared Santa Ana and Boone of Boise, Idaho. Associate editors from the press, Amanda Lee Myers of Lose Angeles, Terry Tang and Alina Hartounian of Phoenix, Christopher Weber of Thousand Oaks, Julie Watson of San Diego and Jennifer Peltz of New York, also contributed.

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