Trump Says He’s Been Briefed on ‘Terrible’ California Shooting

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said police showed “great bravery” in their response to a shooting Wednesday in a California country and western bar that left 12 people dead, including a sheriff’s sergeant who was the first to respond.

In a series of Twitter messages early Thursday, Trump said local law enforcement and the FBI are on scene and the shooter is also dead. The New York Times reported the bar was filled with about 100 people attending a college night when the attack happened late Wednesday. Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy Ron Helus was killed in the shooting, the newspaper reported.

“I have been fully briefed on the terrible shooting in California. Law Enforcement and First Responders, together with the FBI, are on scene,” Trump wrote.

He added in another tweet: “Great bravery shown by police. California Highway Patrol was on scene within 3 minutes, with first officer to enter shot numerous times. That Sheriff’s Sergeant died in the hospital. God bless all of the victims and families of the victims. Thank you to Law Enforcement.”

The shooting is the second such incident in the U.S. in less than a month and follows an Oct. 27 rampage at a Pittsburgh synagogue that left 11 people dead and six injured when a gunman opened fire. It comes a little more than a year after the nation’s deadliest mass-shooting that killed 58 people and injured 869 at a Las Vegas country music festival in October 2017.

To contact the reporter on this story: Terrence Dopp in Washington at tdopp@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Derek Wallbank at dwallbank@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman, Kathleen Hunter

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