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At Anniversary of Mass Shooting In Ventura County, Family Of One Victim Talks About Struggle To Cope

It’s a warm, sunny day, and a woman has brought some colorful plants to a park in the middle of California Lutheran University, in Thousand Oaks. The plants are being transplanted around a bench in the park. For some people passing by, it looks like a nice spot to sit, and enjoy the sun. But, for Laura Lynn Meek, this is sacred ground. It’s where her son used to lounge when he attended school at Cal Lutheran. It was his hangout, until he became one of the 12 victims of the November, 2018 Borderline Bar And Grill Attack.

This Thursday marks the first anniversary of the senseless rampage, which left 11 people at the popular club, and a law enforcement officer trying to save them, dead.   Justin Meek was a musician, an athlete, and someone who volunteered for seemingly everything. After going to high school in the San Diego area, he went to Cal Lutheran. Eventually, his mother and sister also joined him at the Thousand Oaks University. He and his mother graduated together in May of 2018.

It seemed like everyone either knew, or knew of the outgoing 23 year old. Victoria Rose Meek is Justin’s sister. He worked at Borderline as a promoter, and did security. His sister also worked for the Thousand Oaks club as a promoter, and was there, but in a different part of the country bar at the time of the attack. She admits she still has nightmares. She’s a criminal justice major at Cal Lutheran, which she says has helped her cope in some ways with what happened. But, she admits that in the end, you can’t make sense of the senseless.

The gunman killed himself after being confronted by law enforcement officers, and an investigation has failed to turn up any clear cut motive for the attack.

Laura Lynn was a fixture at Cal Lutheran, affectionately known by many students as “Mama Meek.”

She says she and her family are working to keep Justin’s pay it forward philosophy alive, with scholarships in his names, and some community service efforts.

Laura Lynn says she still feels her son’s spirit is with her.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
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