Scottsdale woman identified as 1 of 3 killed in Orange County mass shooting

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has identified a Scottsdale woman as one of the victims of a mass shooting that left three people dead on Wednesday.

Officials say 49-year-old Tonya Clark of Scottsdale, along with 67-year-old John Leehay and 53-year-old Glen Sprowl Jr. were killed when a retired Ventura police sergeant walked into a bar called Cook’s Corner in Trabuco Canyon — a town east of Irvine — and shot his wife and other patrons, based on witness statements.

At a news conference on Thursday, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said the department received 911 calls reporting the shooting at around 7:04 p.m. Barnes said 59-year-old John Snowling entered the bar and walked directly toward his wife before shooting her. Barnes noted that no argument occurred as the shooting was immediate.

Barnes said Snowling also shot Clark, whom his wife was dining with. While Snowling's wife ultimately survived her injuries, Clark was declared dead at the scene.

Barnes said Snowling then began randomly shooting various patrons within the bar that progressed into the outside area of the establishment. At some point, Snowling returned to his truck and retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun along with a third handgun.

A man then confronted Snowling, but was fatally shot, Barnes didn’t specify which man confronted the shooter.

Responding deputies arrived at the scene within two minutes where they confronted Snowling who was armed with three handguns and a shotgun.

Deputies exchanged gunfire with Snowling, killing him. No deputies were injured in the shooting, Barnes noted.

Barnes said Snowling killed three people and injured six others before he was killed, and said he was from Ohio but owned a residence in Southern California. It was not immediately clear what the motive behind the shooting was.

Division Chief Cheyne Maule of the Orange County Fire Authority said the firefighters quickly entered Cook’s Corner after the sheriff’s department cleared them to do so. Snowling and the three victims were declared dead at the scene.

Barnes said Snowling traveled from Ohio and that he had a dispute with the ongoing separation and divorce of his wife.

Barnes said he was proud of his deputies and said that proper training gave them the tools to respond to the incident effectively and save lives. He added that the department will release a critical incident briefing video containing clips of body-camera footage depicting the shooting.

Don Wagner, chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, offered his condolences to those impacted by the shooting and thanked the community for the outpouring of support it had given.

Wagner also thanked the first responders for their swift response and saving lives. He added that Cook’s Corner, sometimes described as a “biker bar” in the media, said it’s also a wholesome, family establishment where the community gathers.

“It was spaghetti night,” Wagner said. “We’re seeing a community come together and it will be forever sad — there’s no other word for it — that such a happy place will now go forward under the shadow of what happened last night.”

He encouraged anyone psychologically struggling from the incident to contact OC Navigator’s crisis support line at 855-625-4657.

“This county is determined to make resources available to everyone who is struggling from this horrific event and from whatever might be troubling you out there in this complicated world. We are here for you.”

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer also decried the shooting and said the fact the shooter was former law enforcement made the situation even more troubling.

“Last night, brethren law-enforcement officers killed somebody who at one time had earned the honor of being a sworn police officer — a sergeant — in the state of California,” Spitzer said. “That person is dead.”

Spitzer lamented that Snowling was no longer alive to face judgment from the people whose loved ones he stole from. He said his office is reviewing the conduct of the seven deputies who fired their weapons, but emphasized that their actions appeared "more than justified."

“There’s nothing that I have found at this point to believe in any way whatsoever that their acts were nothing less than heroic,” Spitzer said. “And that nothing they did last night indicates any criminal activity or excessive use of force in any way whatsoever.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tonya Clark of Scottsdale 1 of 3 killed in Orange County mass shooting