It has been five years since the Borderline Bar and Grill mass shooting, and the Thousand Oaks community gathered today to remember 12 victims. Bailey Miller reports for NBC4 News on Nov. 7, 2023.
Five years have passed since the mass shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks.
Family, community members and first responders gathered today to honor and light candles for the 12 victims.
“Somehow these five years feel like an eternity and the blink of an eye,” Lorrie Dingman, mother of 21-year-old victim Blake Dingman, said. “The events that unfolded on that night are still fresh in my mind as if they happened yesterday.”
The Dingman family shared their journey processing their grief and how it has turned into one of making a difference for others in honor of their late son.
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“Overcoming evil with good is the tagline,” Dingman said. “It is our desire to instill in a community the spirit of helping others in honor of our boys.”
Ventura County Fire Captain Chris Sharp, one of the first to respond to the shooting, was also present at the gathering.
“We touched everybody inside, we tried to save everyone’s life at the base of the off-ramp of the 101 Freeway,” Sharp said. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don't remember everybody.”
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Sharp said that the Ventura County Fire Department started a program in which they speak to new firefighters about the shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill.
The Ventura County Fire Department also travels to different fire departments all over the country to share their stories with others who have experienced similar tragedies.
The Thousand Oaks community joined together to share in their grief, sadness and hope while the victims’ families find peace in knowing they are surrounded by the community’s love and support.
“Five years ago we didn’t know how to walk this path — today we are reminded we don’t do it alone,” Dingman said.
