Minutes of terror: A timeline of the Cook's Corner mass shooting

It took deputies mere minutes to kill the gunman who opened fire at a historic biker bar in Trabuco Canyon. 

In that brief amount of time, the retired Ventura police sergeant killed three people and wounded another six, including his estranged wife. 

"Within two minutes of the 911 call we had people, our deputies were on scene and encountered the individual," said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. "Which means that within two minutes this individual created that much havoc …  created that much damage to those who were patrons within the establishment."

Before Cook's Corner

Retired Ventura Police Department sergeant John Snowling, 59, traveled from Ohio to Southern California. According to the Orange Sheriff's Department, he had an ongoing divorce proceeding with his estranged wife.

Court records show they began the process nine months ago in December 2022. Their next hearing was scheduled for this December. 

When he arrived in Southern California, the former police officer drove to Trabuco Canyon to confront his wife. 

She was having dinner with a friend at Cook's Corner, enjoying the historic biker bar's spaghetti night special.

7:04 p.m.

Snowling entered the bar, which has been described as a "legendary landmark," and walked through a side door armed with two handguns.

He went directly to his wife, who was in the interior portion of the bar, and shot her. Deputies said the two did not argue before the gunman opened fire. He then pointed the gun at Tonya Clark, the woman she was dining with, and shot her. Clark managed to run outside the bar, where she died.

Snowling then started shooting randomly at the other patrons.

According to Barnes, the Orange County Sheriff's Department received the first 911 calls of the shooting shortly after the ex-cop opened fire. 

As deputies rushed up the canyon roads leading to Cook's Corner, the shooter worked his way to the outdoor picnic area.

James O'Malley and  67-year-old John Leehey were having a beer in the picnic area behind the bar when a woman came running towards them. 

"She said 'He's coming!'" O'Malley recalled. "I asked her 'The shooter?' She said yes... right when she said yes there was a barrage of bullets — all going toward us."

The two old friends ran for their lives as bullets flew by them, striking Leehey. 

"I thought he tripped and then my mind said no that wasn't a trip because he didn't even cushion his fall," O'Malley said as he stammered.

After shooting at patrons outside of the bar, the retired sergeant walked back to his car to retrieve a shotgun and a third handgun. 

On his way through the upper parking lot, Snowling shot at more victims. When he retrieved his additional firearms a man tried to stop the gunman but was shot doing so, ultimately dying. 

7:06 p.m.

Deputies arrived at Cook's Corner within two minutes of the first 911 calls. 

"Multiple deputies from my department responded and were there within two minutes to address the issues that were unfolding at Cook's Corner," said Barnes. "When they arrived they did not know the location of the shooter."

The deputies split up to search for the gunman, unaware he was retrieving additional firearms from his truck in the upper parking lot. 

A team quickly found Snowling at his truck.

"The suspect began to fire multiple rounds at our deputies from a shotgun," said Barnes. "Patrol units were struck by gunfire."

Despite a round going through one of the deputy's windshields, the team continued advancing toward the suspect while returning fire. 

"Multiple deputies were involved in the shooting," said Barnes. "And we do believe that it was the gunfire from those deputies that ultimately took the life of the individual."

The Aftermath

After securing the scene, police and medics from the Orange County Fire Department treated the wounds of the victims.

"The phenomenal work by the Orange County Sheriff's Department, to get in there and rapidly secure the scene, empowered our firefighter paramedics to get in there and save lives," said Fire Chief Cheyne Maule. 

The last patient left 46 minutes after the first firefighters arrived. 

"An incredible feat in a hectic environment," said Maule. 

Marie Snowling, the estranged wife of the shooter, was recovering from critical condition — regaining consciousness and the ability to speak, according to the sheriff's department.

The third person to die has been identified as Glen Sprowl Jr., 53, of Stanton.