Borderline Bar & Grill Honors Shooting Victims With Tree Lighting Ceremony
On Sunday (Jul. 21) the Borderline Bar & Grill— the Thousand Oaks, Calif. venue where a dozen people lost their lives to a mass shooting in Nov. 2018—hosted a public gathering for the very first time since the tragedy.
TMZ reports that a ceremonial tree lighting of a large oak on the bar's property was the center ground for patrons to honor those who lost their lives in the event. According to TMZ, hundreds of people showed up to mourn and seek healing, dancing and singing such country hits as Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places."
Borderline Bar owner Brian Hynes says the oak tree, which is located on the edge of the bar parking lot, will remain lit every night to represent the 12 people who were killed.
Aside from the special tribute, the venue remains closed, according to both TMZ and Yelp.
Twelve people died at the Borderline on Nov. 7, 2018, when a lone gunman burst into the crowded bar just before midnight and began firing into the hundreds of patrons who had assembled for a college country night. Among the victims was Ventura County Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus, who was one of the first responders on the scene after reports of shots being fired. Authorities later concluded that Helus died from friendly fire from the rifle of a California Highway Patrol officer who was also responding to the shooting.
Remember the Borderline Bar and Grill Shooting Victims: