California shooting: Four killed, six hurt in Cook's Corner bar

Four people have been killed and six others hurt in a shooting incident at a biker bar in southern California.

The gunman was among the four who died in the shooting at Cook's Corner in Orange County, police said.

Two of the six who were injured are in critical condition, county fire chief Brian Fennessy said.

Gun violence is a fixture of American life and there have been more than 400 mass shootings in 2023 alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The shooting took place at 19:00 local time (02:00 GMT) as the bar was offering an $8 (£6.30) spaghetti night and a rock music show, which were advertised on the bar's Facebook page.

It is thought the incident may have started as a domestic incident between the gunman - said to be a retired law enforcement officer - and his wife, CBS News reported citing a police source.

At least one weapon was recovered from the scene, police said.

Orange County supervisor Katrina Foley said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she was "heartbroken to hear of another senseless mass shooting, this time in our own backyard".

Senator Dave Min from Orange county said he was "devastated" by the news.

"Our district is one of the safest areas in the country, and yet we too are repeatedly afflicted with the scourge of mass shootings," he said.

Cook's Corner is a popular stop for bikers driving though the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains.

Its patrons include Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor and former California governor, who hosted a reception there in 2006, arriving in a motorcycle.

Gun control is a politically charged subject in the US.

While polls show that a majority of Americans are in favour of stricter gun laws, many Republicans oppose such a move.