CA Borderline Bar Survivor Says “I Should Have Been Armed”

In a recent piece titled, “I Survived the California Shooting and Should Have Been Armed to Stop It,” college sophomore Alex Chatoff described his version of the crime and relates his belief that so-called “gun free zones” are partially to blame for such killings, by denying citizens the means to defend themselves.

Last night I went to the country bar Borderline in Thousand Oaks, California with my girlfriend Ally and her two friends. I am 20 years old and have lived in Thousand Oaks my whole life. I currently go to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks and am a sophomore.

We were having a great time, until at about 11:20 pm when shots started going off. Smoke grenades were thrown by the entrance, which limited my view of the shooter. It was a pistol I believe, and as the shots started, my girlfriend and I ducked behind the DJ booth.

Next to us was a window that leads to the parking lot, so we broke the window. Me, my girlfriend and her two friends jumped out the window as shots continued to ring out. I got a bad cut on my wrist and went to the hospital to get treated. My girlfriend was fine, but one of my girlfriend’s friends needed stitches from the broken glass in her leg and arm.

I believe this area was a gun free zone, and although there was security, I don’t believe any were armed. I do know that one security officer was killed right when the shooting started.

If just one person was armed, there is a possibility that it could have been stopped then and there. This is why gun free zones are a danger to us all, and if someone had been there armed, those people would still be alive.

Thank God the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department got there very quickly and took down the shooter. Me, my girlfriend Ally, and her friends are safe and okay, but are very shaken up.

This is another illustration of why “gun free zones” are in reality “unarmed victim zones.” Only bad guys can and do bring guns into them, at which time they can murder freely without serious resistance.

It’s time to abolish “gun free zones” in the interest of public safety. If we only save one life, it’s worth it.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.