White flowers sit outside the home of Sgt. Ron Helus. The 29-year veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office was one of 12 people killed by a gunman at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks.

Helus, 54, was one of the first people to respond to the scene on the night of Nov. 7, after the gunfire started. Eric Schaefer knows, he was inside the bar and Ron was his neighbor.

“It’s insane to truly grasp that it was the same guy that was living on my block that sacrificed his life to ensure the safety of everyone else,” Eric says.

As Eric, his friend Logan, and everyone else tried to escape the gunfire, Helus ran toward it.

“He put his life ahead, in front of everyone else to ensure the security of others, people he doesn’t even know,” Eric said about Helus.

The sheriff’s sergeant lived just a few houses down from Eric, and was loved in his neighborhood. Helus was the guy who introduced himself to people when they moved in, he was the guy that greeted you with a wave and a smile, and he loved decorating his house for Christmas.

His neighbor Dean Schaefer knew Helus for 15 years.

“Ron is one of the kindest gentlest man you would know,” he said. “Always had a story to share at the mailbox, he would always share how he would love to go to mammoth and go fishing with his son and you could tell how much he loved his family.”

It’s not just his family that will miss him, Helus was loved by the entire community. Hundreds of people lined the streets for a glimpse of the procession as his body was taken from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office.

Family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and strangers were so moved by what he did, that they wanted to be present to honor his memory.

Back in Moorpark at Helus’ family home, his widow receives food and flowers, and American flags have started to dot the neighborhood.

“Based on his character, a great man, we will forever be indebted to what he did for us,” Eric said.

Sgt. Ron Helus died a hero serving the community he loved.