12 people died in the tragic shooting massacre in Thousand oaks, California. Here are the chilling statistics of the year so far.
What happened in the Thousand Oaks shooting?
An Afghan war veteran suffering from PTSD armed with a handgun and smoke grenades opened fire at a bar in California killing 12 people and injuring at least ten more.
Ian David Long, 28, was wearing a black trenchcoat and a ski mask when he stormed the venue packed with students to unleash a two and half minute killing spree.
Witnesses said that a man fired several shots from a handgun into the crowd before tossing the smoke grenade and starting to fire again.
Long was carrying a Glock 21, 45. calibre handgun with extended magazine which he had purchased legally, police said.
About 30 shots were said to have been fired during the rampage that last no longer than two and a half minutes.
What are the deadliest mass shootings in US history?
Las Vegas – 58 dead
The massacre on October 1, 2017, on the Las Vegas strip on Sunday night is now the worst mass shooting ever in America.
Police confirmed at least 58 people died after gunman Stephen Paddock sprayed hundreds of bullets into music festival crowds from a hotel balcony.
The 64-year-old holed himself up on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel in the heart of Sin City and opened fire.
Using at least ten rifles, the maniac sent fans at the Route 91 Harvest music festival running for their lives as they tried to escape the bullets raining down on them.
He is believed to have killed himself as armed police closed in and stormed the hotel room from which he committed the deadliest shooting in modern US history.
Orlando nightclub – 49 dead
On June 12, 2016, 29-year-old security guard Omar Mateen stormed gay nightclub Pulse and opened fire on revellers.
There were more than 300 people in the club enjoying a Latin night when the killer walked in holding an AR-15-type assault rifle and a handgun.
A three hour stand off with cops began as Mateen barricaded himself in the bathroom with a handful of hostages.
He called police negotiators pledging allegiance to "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on behalf of the Islamic State".
The attack on the Orlando nightclub lasted hours, and by the time it was over, 49 people were dead and another 53 wounded.
It was the most deadly mass shooting in modern US history before Las Vegas topped the grisly list.
32 people were killed after Seung-Hui Cho opened fire on terrified students
Virginia Tech – 32 dead
Seun-Hui Cho armed himself with two guns and sprayed bullets at students in a bloodbath at Virginia Tech university.
After killing 32 people and leaving 17 others injured in two separate attacks, the disturbed English major then turned the gun on himself.
In the first attack on West Hambler Johnston Hall on April 16, 2007, at 6.47am local time, Seung-Hui Cho started shooting.
Armed with a .22-caliber Walther P22 semi-automatic and a 9mm semi-automatic Glock 19 handgun, Cho entered the room of freshman Emily J Hilscher and blasted her.
After hearing the gunshots, heroic Ryan Clark, 22, attempted to help Emily as she lay dying on the floor but was killed by Cho.
Cho then walked to Norris Hall carrying a backpack containing several chains, locks, a hammer, a knife, two handguns and nearly 400 rounds of ammunition.
He fired at least 174 rounds killing 30 and wounding 17.
A further six were injured when they jumped from windows in a bid to escape.
All of the victims were shot at least three times each, and 28 were shot in the head.
Sandy Hook – 27 killed
On 14 December 2012, mentally disturbed Adam Lanza, 20, shot and killed 20 children between the ages of six and seven at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
He also murdered six adult staff members, but as cops arrived at the school he shot himself dead.
Earlier he had shot and killed his mum, increasing the death toll to a horrific 27.
Lanza had used a 45 round/min semi-automatic assault rifle and a Glock pistol taken from his mother's extensive gun collection in her bedroom.
The brutal attack led to nationwide mourning and increased calls for tougher gun control, especially for deathly efficient automated weapons.
In an address to the media, President Barack Obama broke down in tears and vowed to double down in his efforts to tighten gun laws.
Texas church – 26 killed
During a Sunday service, on November 5, 2017, a man burst into a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
He opened fire using a semi-automatic weapon and gunned down multiple people.
At least 26 people were confirmed to have been killed and 30 others wounded.
23 people were shot inside the church and two were gunned down outside the building.
Another person died on the way to hospital.
Luby's massacre – 23 dead
The Luby's Massacre, also known as the Luby's shooting took place on October 16, 1991, at a Luby's restaurant in Texas.
Attacker George Hennard drove through the front window of the food venue in his pickup truck, and then shot and killed 23 people.
He also wounded over 20 others before fatally shooting himself.
San Ysidro McDonald's – 21 dead
This tragic event took place in and around a McDonald's restaurant in the San Diego neighbourhood of San Ysidro, California, on July 18, 1984.
Shooter James Huberty, 41, attacked and killed 21 people and injured 19 others, before he was shot dead by a SWAT team sniper.
He had previously suspected he had a mental health problem and had even called a mental health clinic requesting an appointment.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting – 17 dead
On February 14, 2018, suspect and former student, Nikolas Cruz, wearing a gas mask and carrying smoke grenades, went on a rampage at his former school killing at least 17 people and injuring dozens more.
He pulled a fire alarm and gunned down students with an AR15 assault rifle as they evacuated Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The suspect, who was expelled in 2017 for unspecified "disciplinary reasons", managed to conceal himself within the crowds of terrified students fleeing the atrocity.
But police were able to use CCTV to identify the shooter and tracked him down to the nearby town of Coral Springs, where he was pinned down and arrested before being taken into custody.
Harrowing footage posted on social media showed terrified pupils crouching under their desks after they barricaded the doors as piercing gunshots were let off just feet away.
Twelve of the dead were killed inside the school, two others just outside, one more on the street and two other victims died of their injuries at a hospital, police said.
The victims included a mixture of adults and children, according to Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel who described the tragedy as "catastrophic".
Texas Tower Sniper – 17 dead
Charles Joseph Whitman, a former US Marine, shot dead 16 people in Austin, Texas, on August 1, 1966.
A seventeenth victim died 35 years later from injuries sustained in the attack.
He wounded 31 people.
Prior to the shooting Whitman had stabbed his wife and mother to death and written a suicide note.
Whitman was shot and killed by a police officer.
San Bernardino – 14 dead
In 2015, married couple Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik shot 14 people and injured 22 others in a mass shooting attack in San Bernardino, California.
The victims were attending a San Bernardino County Department of Public Health training event and Christmas party of about 80 employees.
Four hours after, police shot them dead in a shootout after pursuing their rented vehicle.
Edmond Post Office – 14 dead
Part-time mail carrier, Patrick Henry Sherrill, killed 14 postal workers in 10 minutes before taking his own life.
Sherrill was armed with three handguns.
The shooting took place in Edmond, Oklahoma on August 20, 1986.
Columbine High School – 13 dead
On April 20, 1999, students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 classmates and one teacher before committing suicide in Littleton, Colorado.
Dressed in trench coats, the pair began shooting pupils outside the school before moving inside and gunning down victims in the library.
It later emerged Harris and Klebold placed two duffel bags each containing a 20-pound propane bomb set to explode in the school cafeteria.
They then waited outside but when the bombs failed to go off, they started spraying bullets at students.
A total of 188 rounds of ammunition were fired during the slaughter.
Fort Hood – 13 dead
On November 5, 2009, a mass shooting took place at Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas.
US Army major and psychiatrist, Nidal Hasan, fatally shot 13 people and injured more than 30 others.
Binghamton – 13 dead
Jiverly Wong killed 13 people and injured four in Binghamton, New York on April 3, 2009.
He killed himself after the rampage at an immigrant community centre.
Wah Mee – 13 dead
ON February 18, 1983, Kwan Fai "Willie" Mak, Wai-Chiu "Tony" Ng, and Benjamin Ng shot dead 13 people in the Wah Mee gambling club in Seattle, Washington.
It is the deadliest mass murder in Washington state history.
Wilkes-Barre – 13 dead
George Banks killed 13 people including five of his own children in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Walk of Death – 13 dead
Howard Barton Unruh, 28, shot and killed 13 people during a 12-minute walk through his neighborhood on September 6, 1949, in Camden, New Jersey. when he was 28 years old.
The incident became known as the "Walk of Death".
Unruh was an Army veteran who had seen extensive combat in Europe with the artillery in World War II.
He never stood trial after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
Aurora – 12 dead
Mass murderer James Holmes slaughtered 12 innocent people after opening fire at a Colorado cinema in the summer of 2012.
The flame haired killer stormed a a midnight screening of Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises after legally purchasing an AR-15 assault rifle, a Remington 12-gauge shotgun, a .40 caliber Glock handgun and another pistol with 6,000 rounds of ammunition.
Shortly after the film started, the killer propped an emergency exit open with a table cloth holder, went to his car, changed into protective gear and a gas mask and retrieved his guns.
Holmes walked back into the theatre and threw two gas canisters into the audience.
Many in the audience thought it was a publicity stunt until he began spraying the crowd with the shotgun, then the assault rifle and finally the pistol.
A witness said he went outside and and shot people as they ran.
Cops apprehended Holmes in his car behind the cinema within minutes of the shooting.
He told them that he was “The Joker”.
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