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Ian David Long Pictures: Social Media Sheds Light On Thousand Oaks Gunman, A Marine Veteran Suffering PTSD

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 02:26 PST, Nov 8, 2018

Pictures of Thousand Oaks gunman Ian David Long have circulated in the wake of his deadly attack at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, shedding some light on the Marine Corps veteran with suspected PTSD.

Police said Long walked into a crowded bar on Wednesday night and opened fire, first killing a security guard before firing indiscriminately into a crowd of people, leaving 11 dead before taking his own life.

As ABC 7 reported, the gunman — initially identified as David Ian Long — used a.45-caliber handgun that he had legally purchased. Police did not release any information about a potential motive for the attack and did not say if any of those killed inside the bar were specifically targeted by Long.

Though it took police longer than usual to identify the suspect because he reportedly had no identification on his body, they have since released some details about David Ian Long — who reportedly went by his middle name, Ian Long.

In a press conference with reporters on Wednesday, the Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean said Long had been the victim of an assault at another bar, but it was not clear if he had any history of violence. A neighbor told reporters that Long had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and a police report seems to give evidence that he had a previous mental health crisis.

“Dean said his department had several previous contacts with Long, including a call to his home in April, when deputies found him acting irate and irrationally,” a report from ABC 10 noted. “The sheriff said a mental health crisis team was called at that time and concluded that Long did not need to be taken into custody.

Shortly after police announced that Ian David Long was the Thousand Oaks gunman, pictures from his social media accounts began circulating online, showing a man with a beard and heavy tattoos.

The pictures of Ian David Long wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers jersey seemed to confirm reports from neighbors that the man was a Dodgers fan who lived with his mother. Other pictures, including one published by TMZ, showed Ian David Long in his Marine Corps uniform, standing in a cemetery. It was not yet clear when he had been on active duty or why he left.

Details released by police on Wednesday indicate that Ian David Long likely planned the deadly Thousand Oaks attack. Witnesses said he was wearing all black and had his face partially covered, and used smoke grenades during the attack.

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