Four dead in shooting at California biker bar

Officials say the shooter was among the dead while six others have been taken to hospital

Authorities attend the scene of a fatal shooting at a biker bar in rural Trabuco Canyon on Wednesday. AP

At least four people have been killed in a shooting at a southern California biker bar, including the shooter, the Orange County Sheriff’s office said on Thursday.

Six more people are in hospital, five of whom are reported to have suffered from gunshot wounds following the shooting that was reported at around 7pm local time at Cook’s Corner, a bar in rural Trabuco Canyon.

An “officer-involved shooting occurred during the incident”, officials said, adding that the shooter was among those killed.

The Sheriff's office has not released any details about the shooter or how he was killed.

Dozens of patrol cars and ambulances attended the scene.

One man interviewed by ABC7 said he had friends in the bar who were unhurt.

“They're upset, of course. They were right next to the shooter. They said it was an older man with a grey beard,” he told the news outlet.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was monitoring the shooting “and coordinating with local officials as more details become available,” his office tweeted.

Motorcyclist Gus Gunderman, from nearby Tustin, wrote on Facebook that he had been at the bar earlier in the evening and had left just before the violence erupted.

“Glad to be home safe. I left there not too long ago, like minutes before. Apparently it was soon enough.”

According to CNN, officials are investigating the possible cause of the shooting as a domestic dispute between two parties.

Cooks Corner is a popular bar among the biker community in southern California.

Many motorcycle riders and enthusiasts gather there on weeknights and during the weekend, and the bar hosts regular live music and open mic nights.

Several patrons reportedly visited the bar in the hours before the shooting.

Rows of motorcycles were parked outside the bar, which was built in 1884.

The shooting is the latest instance of gun violence to hit the US, where tens of thousands of people die every year from firearms.