California shooting: Sergeant Ron Helus killed in mass bar shooting 'died a hero'

He was about a year away from retirement.

(AP)

Among the twelve who were killed in Wednesday night’s mass shooting was a sergeant who “died a hero,” according to the local sheriff.

Sergeant Ron Helus was one of the first police officers to respond to the scene of a mass shooting at a Southern California bar, CBS reports.

He ran into the building and was shot. A California Highway Patrol officer entered afterwards, pulled Mr Helus out of the line of fire, and secured the perimeter. Mr Helus was taken to a hospital, where he died on Thursday morning.

"When he heard the gunfire he ran in, he ran in and no doubt saved others from being victimized,” Captain Garo Kuredjian of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said. “A young man who was inside the club came up to me and said, ‘You know what? He saved additional people from being victims.’ That’s what cops do. That’s what he did.”

The shooting started around 11:20 on Wednesday night at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California. Witnesses say there were 100-130 people in the bar, and around 30 shots were fired. The shooting left about 10-12 people injured and 13 people dead, including the shooter.

Mr Helus, 54, had served for 29 years, and was about a year from retirement. He is survived by his wife and son, and he ran a firearms training business in Ventura County, in which he taught people how to legally and safely use and maintain firearms, NBC reports. He was also on the SWAT team.

"He was totally committed, he gave his all, and tonight, as I told his wife, he died a hero," Sheriff Geoff Dean said during a press conference.