Ian Long: What we know so far about California Shooter in Thousand Oaks

He was a Marine Corps veteran who a mental health professional had cleared as not dangerous

As the story regarding the shooting at a Southern California bar unfolds, some details regarding the suspected shooter have come to light.

Ian David Long was a 28-year-old white man with tattoos, NBC News reported. He lived in Newbury Park, California, which is about a 15-minute drive from Thousand Oaks, where the shooting took place.

Long was a former student of California State University, Northridge, according to a statement from the University's president Diane Feinstein. He had most recently attended in 2016.

He was also a Marine Corps veteran, whom a neighbour had said had post traumatic stress disorder.

The sheriff's department said in a statement that Mr Long had a .45 calibre handgun that was purchased legally. It had an extended magazine to hold more bullets. A witness said that Mr Long had perfect form and reloaded quickly. The Marine Corps released a statement saying Mr Long served from 2008 to 2013, and he was a machine gunner. He had won several awards, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Long had a few minor run-ins with police in the past. USA Today reports that he was the victim of a battery at a Thousand Oaks bar, he was involved in two car collisions, and deputies were called to his house for a domestic dispute in April.

A neighbour had called to report loud noises at his house and law enforcement came to investigate. Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean said during a press conference said that Mr Long was “somewhat irate and acting a little irrationally," so they called a crisis intervention team.

According to Section 5150 laws in California, law enforcement can commit someone to an institution if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others, even if the person in question does not agree to be institutionalised. The mental health professional who investigated Long did not deem him dangerous at that time, so they did not commit him.

During the shooting, Mr Long was dressed in a black hood, USA Today reports. He was found dead inside the bar, but it is not clear whether he killed himself or if law enforcement took him down.