Community remembers 12 lives lost on 3rd anniversary of Borderline shooting

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (KABC) -- Three years ago, a gunman stormed the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks and opened fire. When the chaos ended, 12 people had been killed, including a sheriff's department sergeant.

The community that came together in the wake of the attack united once more in honor of the somber anniversary.

One by one they read the names of the 12 innocent lives lost in the deadly shooting.

"Time has definitely gotten a little bit easier, but we're still never going to forget," Jason Coffman, who lost his son, said.

A gunman walked into the packed bar on Nov. 7, 2018, and opened fire before taking his own life.

Those who gathered for the "Day of Remembrance" ceremony vowed to pay it forward.

"Today rather than remembering what happened that awful night three years ago, let's remember all 12 and their memory for being a blessing," Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña said.

The popular nightspot, which had been shut down since the tragedy, now has a new home and a new name. It is now the BL Dancehall and Saloon in Agoura Hills and has retained much of the original Borderline, including many of the original staff.

As the community continues to heal, family members say memorials like this one are vital to their recovery.

"We all know what each other is really going through, so the questions are a lot easier to answer between the 12 families," Coffman said.

The city of Thousand Oaks is preparing to permanently honor the lives lost with 12 sculptures in the Civic Arts Plaza Park.