4 killed, 6 wounded in latest US mass shooting

Police said the shooting took place at Cook’s Corner, a bar and restaurant in Orange County, on Wednesday evening.

Reports said the gunman was a retired law enforcement officer and that he was shot by police on the scene.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department said the shooter was among those confirmed dead, adding that at least six people were hospitalized, five of whom had gunshot wounds.

Authorities did not disclose the circumstances leading up to the shooting, but some sources said the gunman was targeting his estranged wife.

The FBI will help with the investigation into the mass shooting.

“I’m heartbroken by the news of yet another mass shooting tonight, this time at Cook’s Corner, a historic bar in the heart of Orange County,” California Senator State Senator Dave Min said in a statement. “My heart breaks for the families and loved ones of the victims.”

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said, “It’s disturbing to learn that another domestic dispute led to another mass shooting. We must do more to prevent senseless acts of gun violence and protect survivors.”

The United States has been struggling with a large number of mass shootings and incidents of gun violence.

The Gun Violence Archive has recorded 465 mass shootings so far in 2023 across the country.

Last month, US President Joe Biden said the “epidemic of gun violence” in the US is “tearing our communities apart.”

He also called on Republican legislators to join him in putting forward “commonsense reforms,” including a ban on assault weapons, universal background checks and an end to legal immunity for gun manufacturers.