Deputy Slain In Borderline Massacre Killed By Friendly Fire

THOUSAND OAKS, CA — A Ventura County Sheriff's Deputy killed trying to stop a mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks was the victim of friendly fire, the Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub, announced Friday.

According to a coroner's report, Sgt. Ron Helus was shot five times by a gunman but fatally wounded by a California Highway Patrol Officer, who also responded to the mass shooting scene. The fatal bullet, fired amid the chaos of a gun battle surrounded by hundreds of people fleeing for their lives, struck Helus' vital organs, the coroner reported.

On Nov. 6, a hooded gunman dressed in black walked into the Thousand Oaks country dance bar and opened fire. Thirteen people died in the massacre, including Helus, the first officer to respond to the attack. The lone shooter, identified by authorities as 28-year-old Ian David Long of Newbury Park, then turned the gun on himself.

After Helus was shot, the patrol officer managed to pull him away from the gunfire and secured the perimeter until backup could arrive. The sergeant later died at a hospital. He was on a phone call with his wife and told her he loved her before running into the bar, Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean told reporters at the time.

“He said, ‘Hon, I got to go. I love you. I gotta go on a call,’” Dean said. "Ron was a hardworking, dedicated sheriff's sergeant who was totally committed, and tonight, as I told his wife, he died a hero because he went in to save lives."

Helus, a 54-year-old sergeant, had been on the force for 29 years and planned to retire in the coming year, said Dean. Helus studied at the University of Oklahoma and was the owner and founder of a business that provides firearms training, Gun Control: Firearms Training and CCW Instruction. The native of West Hills, California, joined the sheriff's office in August 2009 and was a supervisor.

In November, thousands lined the streets of Thousand Oaks and gathered to mourn the fallen hero. His wife remembered his final words he uttered to her as he prepared to charge into the bar, knowing he could die.

"He said he loved me and I said I loved him and that was the last time I talked to him,” she told the "Today" show in November. “He was a hero. He would have said he was just doing his job, but he is a hero and I want him to be known for that.”

Correction: Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this story indicated Helus was shot five times by the CHP officer.