Main | Saturday, May 24, 2014

CALIFORNIA: Gunman Slays Six After Posting Chilling "Retribution" Video

A mentally ill 22 year-old college student in Santa Barbara, California is dead after killing six people in what police are calling "premeditated mass murder."  The shooting spree came after the killer posted a chilling YouTube clip titled "Retribution" in which he declared himself to be a virgin and vowed to murder the women who had rejected him
Gunfire erupted shortly before 9:30 p.m. in Isla Vista, Calif., an area near the UC Santa Barbara Campus and about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. A shooter fired dozens of shots while driving and walking through the area, leaving behind “a very chaotic series” of nine crime scenes spread across Isla Vista, Brown said. The first calls to police reporting gunshots came in at 9:27 p.m., Brown said. At the same time, sheriff’s office deputies already in Isla Vista also heard gunshots and found several victims. As they performed first aid, they were given information regarding the shooter and the vehicle that person was using. Several minutes later, the shooter engaged in a shootout with sheriff’s deputies before fleeing. The shooter was spotted again moments later by another deputy; the shooter and the deputy both fired shots at one another before the shooter fled down the street and eventually crashed into a parked vehicle.
 The family of the gunman has issued a statement.
The gunman who killed six people and died in a mass shooting near the University of California, Santa Barbara, has been identified by an attorney representing his father. The father of Elliot Rodger confirmed through his attorney, Alan Schifman, that his son was the gunman. The 22-year-old was being treated by multiple therapists and was a student at Santa Barbara City College, said Schifman. Schifman said that Rodger’s family was “devastated.” Schifman said in recent weeks that Rodger’s parents were concerned for their son's well being and reported his disturbing YouTube videos to police, which lead to an investigation. According to Schifman, police interviewed Rodger and found him to be “polite and kind.” He did not specify which law enforcement division conducted the interview. A social worker also contacted police about Rodger last week, said Schifman. Schifman said Rodger was diagnosed as being a high-functioning patient with Asperger syndrome and had faced bullying through much of his life as he had trouble making friends.
VIDEO: Rodger's video has already been mirrored by several other YouTube users. I don't recommend reading the YouTube comments, where some are declaring that the killer was a "self-hating gay man." The top-rated comment at the version posted below says: "This guy was clearly gay. (Not that I am anti-gay), but he was in denial." Other commenters are calling the killer "effeminate." 

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