ISLA VISTA, Calif.—Elliot Rodger, 22, has been identified as the suspect responsible for Friday’s deadly rampage near the University of California Santa Barbara.
In total, seven people died and 13 were injured in the series of incidents that occurred May 23.
The incident began when Rodger fatally stabbed three men in his residence. He then shot two women in front of the Alpha Phi sorority house, shot a man inside a restaurant, shot at pedestrians, hit a man riding a bike and exchanged gunfire with police as he drove from block to block. The chaos ended when Rodger shot himself in the head as he sat in his vehicle.
The suspect, who formerly was a student at Santa Barbara City College, described his intentions to commit mass murder in a YouTube video where he complains about women ignoring him. He singled out women in sororities as targets who would be “punished,” reports CNN. He also raged against attractive, popular young people.
Before he started his rampage, Rodger sent a 137-page manifesto outlining his intentions to his parents and his therapist. Upon receiving it, his parents rushed to Isla Vista, only to discover that there son had already killed six people as well as himself, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Previously, Rodger’s family had been concerned that he might act out, and one family member asked police to check on him April 30. When they did, the suspect did not give any indication he would become violent. He was able to convince the seven officers who arrived that everything was OK, reports the Christian Science Monitor.
Prior to the rampage, Rodger was able to legally purchase three semiautomatic guns and more than 400 rounds of ammunition.
