All victims of Southern California biker bar shooting now identified

Aug 20, 2023

An Arizona woman and two Southern California men were identified Friday as the victims of a retired police officer who fired inside a popular Orange County biker bar.

Tonya Clark, 49, from Scottsdale Arizona; Glen Sprowl Jr., 53, of Stanton, Calif,; and John Leehey, 67, of Irvine, Calif.; were killed Wednesday night at Cook’s Corner bar in Trabuco Canyon, the Orange County Sheriff's Office announced.

Leehey's identity had been revealed Thursday before the two other victims were named on Friday.

"We stand in mourning alongside the family and friends of Tonya, John and Glen," the sheriff said in a statement. "They were tragically killed Wednesday in a shooting at Cook’s Corner in Trabuco Canyon. Please join us in wishing all who knew and loved them comfort during this extremely difficult time."

Retired Ventura police Sgt. John Snowling, 59, killed three people and wounded six more before responding Orange County Sheriff's deputies killed him.

Among the wounded was Snowling's estranged wife Marie Snowling, who was retired Sgt. Snowling's intended target, officials have said.

Marie Snowling, filed for divorce Dec. 21, seeking to end their three-decade-long union.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the individuals and the families of this tragedy," her family law attorney Kenneth H.J. Henjum said in a statement Friday evening. "The Snowling family is in shock at the events from last night and are requesting their privacy. We are awaiting further information from the medical professionals regarding Marie’s current condition."

John and Marie Snowling married on Dec. 10, 1988, and separated on Nov. 1, 2020, court records showed, meaning that the Snowlings were married for more than 90% of his career at the Ventura Police Department.

Sgt. Snowling started working for VPD in July 1986 before his retirement in February 2014, according to police in the oceanside town. His pension was $117,421, according to public records.

Under California community property laws, Marie Snowling would have been in line for half of his pension accrued during their years of marriage.

And while California’s 50-50 standard is well-known, divorcing parties often fail to come to grips with that potential income loss until late in the process, family law attorney Demetria Graves said.

“People understand it in theory until it happens to them, until you actually have to exercise community property,” said Graves, chair of the Family Law Section of the California Lawyers Association. “It increases the emotional impact of what’s going to happen because now you have to start making decisions you’re not prepared to make."

Losing large percentages of pension is particularly gut-wrenching, Graves said, because that beneficiary naturally feels those funds are rightfully theirs from decades of work.

“I mean that’s ‘your money,’ you earned it,” she said Friday. “But what people don’t understand is that money you earn, your efforts, all of that during the marriage, that is community property.”

David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.