Deputies’ killing of ex-cop during Cook’s Corner mass shooting justified, prosecutors say

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has determined deputies were justified in fatally shooting a former police officer who was in the midst of committing a mass shooting at a Trabuco Canyon bar two years ago.

Retired Ventura Police Sgt. John Snowling opened fire inside and outside the Cook’s Corner bar on Aug. 23, 2023, first targeting his estranged wife and then eight others.

Of his nine victims, three were killed: Tonya Clark, 49, of Scottsdale, Arizona, John Leehey, 67, of Irvine and Glen Sprowl Jr., 53, of Stanton. Six others, including Snowling’s wife, were wounded.

Armed with multiple handguns and a shotgun, Snowling engaged in a firefight with Orange County Sheriff’s deputies that ultimately led to his death…

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