THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (KNX) — A man remembered for saving dozens of lives during the deadly 2018 Borderline Bar and Grill shooting in Thousand Oaks, was killed in a motorcycle crash over the weekend in Ventura County.
Matt Wennerstrom, 24, died Saturday night when he collided with a car in the area of Lynn and East Kelley roads in the Newbury Park area, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver and passenger in the vehicle were taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries, officials said.
Wennerstrom became a hero in November 2018 when he helped people escape the Borderline Bar and Grill, where a gunman entered and opened fire, killing 13 people.
Wennerstrom immediately rushed to save others, shielding bar patrons from the shooter, then risked his own life by smashing out windows with a bar stool, and helping as many as 35 people escape, according to ABC Los Angeles.
The station spoke with the then 20-year-old, still in a bloody T-shirt, just hours after the attack.
“All I did was grab as many people as I could and pull them underneath the table. And then, till I heard the shots, till I heard a break in the shots, and then we got people out of there as much as we could," Wennerstrom told Eyewitness News at the time. "I'm here to protect my friends, my family, my fellow humans. And I know where I'm going if I die."
Monday night, friends and family will gather to remember Wennerstrom's life and heroism.
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