Scottsdale woman among those killed by retired police officer in California
Aug 26, 2023, 12:00 PM
Tonya Clark, 49, was killed Aug. 23, 2023, when a man opened fire in a bar in Trabuco Canyon, California. (GoFundMe).
(GoFundMe)
PHOENIX — A Scottsdale woman was among those killed Wednesday when a retired police sergeant opened fire at a popular Southern California biker bar, officials revealed Friday.
Tonya Clark, 49, of Scottsdale was dining with the wife of the shooter, according to authorities.
John Snowling, 59, traveled from Ohio to confront his estranged wife, Marie Snowling, shooting her in the face before turning his gun on the crowd, authorities said. His wife survived and is hospitalized.
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He killed three people, including Clark and John Leehey, 67, of Irvine, California, who approached him as Snowling retrieved additional guns from his truck. Also killed was Glen Sprowl Jr., 53, of Stanton, California, a friend of Marie Snowling. He wounded six others, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Thursday. He was fatally shot by deputies within minutes of the rampage.
According to authorities, after being shot, Clark exited the bar and was able to make it to the roadway before dying, Barnes said.
All nine people shot were adults. Marie Snowling was conscious and speaking but remained hospitalized Thursday, Barnes said.
According to a GoFundMe that has been established for Clark’s 13-year-old son, Clark had moved back to Southern California and was to start a new job the next day. She was celebrating her birthday with boyfriend Brian Stoner, according to the GoFundMe.
Kenneth H.J. Henjum, Marie Snowling’s attorney, said in an email that her family was in shock and was requesting privacy.
John Snowling had worked for the police department in coastal Ventura, northwest of Los Angeles, from 1986 to 2014. Ventura Police Chief Darin Schindler issued a statement expressing condolences to the victims’ families, the survivors and the responding deputies.
Cook’s Corner has long been a place for motorcyclists to gather for bands, open-mic nights or just a cold beer after a long ride. It calls itself the oldest motorcycle bar in Southern California and sits at the intersection of two picturesque highways in an area of scrubby hills and bicycle trails. It attracts everyone from motorcycle riders on choppers to avid cyclists in Lycra and families with young children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
