Hero Who Saved More Than 30 Lives In Mass Shooting Dies In Motorcycle Crash

A man who was credited for saving dozens of lives during a California mass shooting has died in a motorcycle crash.

Matt Wennerstrom, 24, died on Saturday in a motorcycle crash in Newbury Park, KABC-TV reports. A public information officer at the Thousands Oaks Police Department has not immediately responded to Oxygen.com’s request for comment. 

His motorcycle collided with another vehicle at an intersection and he was pronounced dead at the scene, a police spokesperson told People.

Wennerstrom was hailed a hero in 2018 after he was credited for saving the lives of more than 30 people during a mass shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks that year. A gunman had entered the country-western bar, a known college student hangout, where he killed 13 people before killing himself.  

"All I did was grab as many people as I could and pull them underneath the table until I heard a break in the shots," Wennerstrom told KABC at the time. 

He also broke a window with a barstool during the shooting, which allowed people to flee the violence. 

Matt Wennerstrom Photo: Facebook

"I'm here to protect my friends, my family and my fellow humans," he told KABC then.

In turn, his fellow humans showed up for him following his death. Hundreds of people came to the hero’s vigil on Monday to honor his life and his generosity.

"It wasn't just Borderline, it was before that -- just in how he lived his life and how he cared for people," his friend Carina Cendejas told KABC.

Wennerstrom’s relatives said they were overwhelmed by the support at the vigil, which also honored his love of cars, motorcycles, family and friends.

“Matthew was loved by so many, and he touched so many people,” a GoFundMe set up to raise funds for his memorial states. “There are not enough words to describe the impact he made in the community.”