Hundreds of mourners gathered Friday night to remember the victims of the deadly Cook’s Corner shooting, acknowledging the pain the community has felt in the days since and taking time to grieve.
The community prayer at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest was the first held since Wednesday’s mass shooting in which officials say a retired Ventura police sergeant entered Cook’s Corner, a roadhouse grill in Trabuco Canyon, and shot his estranged wife and several other patrons enjoying live music on spaghetti night.
“This tragedy that has struck our community impacted everybody’s life in such a significant way,” Saddleback Church pastor Andy Wood said. “Some who lost loved ones; others who know somebody who lost a loved one. In this moment, it’s an opportunity for us to come together, grieve together.”
A long procession of bikers rode their motorcycles to the church campus, some wearing Cook’s Corner hats and shirts, greeting and hugging each other before walking inside. The prayer service moved between songs and sermons throughout the evening.
People were asked to pray for those killed in the shooting, Tonya Clark, 49, of Scottsdale, Arizona, Glen Sprowl Jr., 53, of Stanton, and John Leehey, 67, of Irvine, and the service gave time to honor the shooting’s six survivors and the many law enforcement and emergency crews who responded. Leehey’s family was in attendance.
Steve Dees, a resident of Trabuco Canyon who said he had planned to be at spaghetti night on Wednesday but ended up not going, felt the service helped the community with healing and moving forward.
“It’s such a tragedy,” Dees, 54, said. “You can feel the pain, you can feel the hurt, and just coming together as a community and bonding the way they are right now. It’s just a big blessing.”
Saddleback Church is two miles from Cook’s Corner. It’s the same spot where Orange County law enforcement and prosecutors set up their command post following the shooting….
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