Thousand Oaks shooting victim confirmed as survivor of America's worst ever mass shooting a year ago

Mourners at a vigil in Thousand Oaks, California - AFP
Mourners at a vigil in Thousand Oaks, California - AFP

A man who survived America's worst ever mass shooting in Las Vegas last year was killed in another gun massacre at a bar in California this week.

Telemachus Orfanos, 27, a US Navy veteran, was among 12 people shot dead at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousands Oaks, just outside Los Angeles, on Wednesday night.

The shooting happened 13 months after 58 people died when a gunman opened fire at a country music festival in Las Vegas.

Susan Orfanos, the victim's mother, said: "My son was in Las Vegas with a lot of his friends and he came home. He didn't come home last night.

"I don't want prayers. I don't want thoughts. I want gun control, and I hope to God nobody else sends me any more prayers. I want gun control. No more guns."

Marc Orfanos, the victim's father, said: "It is particularly ironic that after surviving the worst mass shooting in modern history, my son went on to be killed in his home town."

The Borderline Bar and Grill hosted country music line dancing events and had become a popular venue for dozens of survivors of the Las Vegas country music festival shooting.

On Wednesday night Ian David Long, 28, a former US Marine thought to have been suffering from PTSD, attacked the bar with a handgun and smoke bombs.

His Glock handgun was legally owned, but he also had a high capacity magazine that was illegal in California.

Brendan Kelly, 22, another survivor of the Las Vegas shooting who was also at the Borderline bar, said: "I already didn't wish it on anybody to begin with for the first time. The second time around doesn't get any easier."

Mr Kelly, a US Marine who has a large tattoo commemorating victims of the Las Vegas shooting, added: "The chills go up your spine. You don't think it's real - again."

It was later reported that the gunman was posting on social media as he carried out the massacre.

Long held his gun in one hand and phone in the other, posting messages on Instagram, TMZ reported. The images have now been deleted.

The gunman was reportedly a regular at the bar. A former classmate told TMZ he had been teased in high school over his lazy eye, and some of the students who teased him were also regulars at the bar, TMZ reported.

Police discovered a Facebook post the gunman made around the time of the shooting, CNN reported.

It said: "I hope people call me insane...wouldn't that just be a big ball of irony? Yeah.. I'm insane, but the only thing you people do after these shootings is 'hopes and prayers'.. or 'keep you in my thoughts'... every time...and wonder why these keep happening..."