(UPDATED: 6 p.m. Saturday)
ISLA VISTA, CALIF. – The 22-year-old suspect, Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger, who killed six people and injured 13 others at Isla Vista on Friday, had more than 400 rounds of ammunition and three guns inside his BMW car, authorities said.
After the speeding BMW crashed into some parked vehicles with police in pursuit, Rodger died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Law enforcement officials said Rodger left behind a path of death and destruction in the small college town. Isla Vista is adjacent to the University of California, Santa Barbara.
In a press conference late this afternoon, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said three 9mm semi-automatic handguns were also found inside Rodger’s vehicle.
“We have determined that all these weapons were legally purchased from federally licensed firearms dealers, and that they were all registered to the suspect,” Brown said.
Isla Vista is a college town with more than 23,000 residents who are mostly college students attending the University of California, Santa Barbara that is nearby. The town is located next to the city of Goleta and 10 miles from Santa Barbara, which is 90 miles north of Los Angeles.
Inside Rodger’s car, there were also 34 loaded magazines for two of the weapons, and seven 10-round magazines for the other handgun, Brown said. The crime scenes were at ten separate locations and the first call to the 911-dispatcher came at 9:33 p.m, Brown said.
Brown described in detail what happened, saying Rodger’s rampage began at his residence where three murders occurred. Rodger killed three male victims by repeatedly stabbing them before going on a shooting rampage on the streets of Isla Vista, Brown said.
“It was a pretty horrific crime scene,” said Brown.
After the murders, Rodger went to the front door of a sorority where several people inside heard “loud and aggressive” knocking which lasted one to two minutes, Brown said.
“Fortunately, no one opened the door,” said Brown.
Shortly afterwards, witnesses saw three young women who were standing in the vicinity of the sorority being shot by Rodger, Brown said.
Two of the women were UCSB college students, ages 22 and 19. They died at the scene. Another female victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds, Brown said.
Rodger then drove to a delicatessen, got off his car, went inside, shot and killed 20-year-old Christopher Ross Michael-Martinez, Brown said.
Rodger sped away and shortly afterwards, fired several times at two people on the sidewalk, and at one point, he drove on the wrong side of the road, Brown said. He continued speeding down the busy streets and fired at a female, Brown said. Rodger then fired at a sheriff’s deputy who was on foot; the deputy returned fire, Brown said. Rodger continued driving and struck and injured a bicyclist. Later, he fired many shots at pedestrians and struck three of them.
He traveled further where he shot another victim, said Brown.
Rodger then came across four sheriff’s deputies running across the park and in pursuit of him, Brown said.
“He fired at them. Three of the four sheriff’s deputies were able to return fire at the suspect, striking the suspect’s vehicle, and we believe shooting the suspect in his left hip,” said Brown.
Rodger drove off despite being wounded, according to Brown.
Witnesses reported that Rodger was traveling at a high-rate of speed when he struck another bicyclist who landed on the windshield of Rodger’s BMW, caving the windshield, Brown said.
“The suspect’s vehicle collided with several parked cars and came to a stop,” said Brown. “Responding deputies immediately removed the suspect from the car and handcuffed him. He was obviously dead with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. ”
Adding, “It would appear that he took his own life at this point.”
Dr. Stephen Kaminski, who is the trauma services director at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, said four patients were treated and released at Goleta Valley Hospital and seven were taken to the trauma center at Cottage Hospital. Of the seven, two patients are in good condition, three patients are in fair and two are in serious condition, said Kaminski.
Brown said Rodger, who was a student at Santa Barbara City College and living in Isla Vista, was apparently severely mentally ill.
“The problem with an incident like this is that is is obviously the work of a madman,” said Brown. “It is just unfortunate that these types of circumstances occur but there very, very limited ways that they can be prevented.”
Rodger Had Three Contacts with Law Enforcement in the Past Year
Brown said Rodger had three contacts with police since last July.
- On July 21, 2013, he was at the hospital and claimed he was a victim of assault. But police determined that Rodger may have been the aggressor in the incident.
- On Jan. 15, Rodger reported that three candles were stolen from him that were worth $22 and made a citizen’s arrest. The suspect was arrested for petty theft.
- On April 30, Rodger’s family called police to check on Rodger but he was “polite, shy and courteous” and downplayed what was going on at his family’s residence, according to Brown.
Brown said: “He expressed to the deputies that he was having difficulties with his social life, and he probably would not be returning to school in the next year. The deputies discussed options with him. In terms of support, offered resources to him and ultimately cleared that call without further action.”
In response to a question from a reporter about whether the call was handled properly, Brown said: “I am not going to play Monday morning quarterback at this point. We are still investigating this…”
Brown said this a routine type of call, and the deputies are well trained on how to handle it.
“I am not going to second guess them at this point,” he said.
Brown said Rodger was able to buy the guns in the California cities of Goleta, Oxnard and Burbank
A spokesman for Elliot Rodger’s family made brief comments to reporters this afternoon.
“The Rodger’s family offers their deepest compassion and sympathy to the families involved in this terrible tragedy. We are experiencing the most inconceivable pain, and our hearts go out to everybody involved,” Alan Shifman said.
The Hollywood Reporter identified Rodger as the son of the Hunger Games second unit director Peter Rodger.
The Father of One of the Victims is Upset and Blames Politicians and the NRA for the Deaths.
Richard Martinez, the father of Christopher Ross Michael-Martinez, gave emotional comments about his son’s death and the shootings.
“Our son Christopher Martinez and six others are dead. Our family has a message for every parent out there, ‘you don’t think it can happen to your child until it does.’ Chris was a really great kid, ask anyone who knew him. His death has left our family lost and broken. Why did Chris die?” Martinez told reporters with a voice cracking with emotion.
Adding, “Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA. They talk about gun rights what about Chris’ right to live.”
With a raised voice, he ended his comments: “When will this insanity stop? When will enough people say, ‘stop this madness. We don’t have to live like this, too many have died.’ We should say to ourselves, ‘not one more.'”
Kyle Sullivan, 19, a student at Santa Barbara City College, told CNN that he came upon three young women — all shot — on a lawn in front of the Alpha Phi sorority in Isla Vista.
One woman appeared to be dead. Another was struggling and “just barely able to move her eyes,” he said. A third, with a kidney
wound, was on the phone with her mother, saying she probably wasn’t going to make and “how much she loved her,” Sullivan said.
“I really wasn’t able to sleep at all,” Sullivan told CNN. “It was heartbreaking that something would happen in our community like this.”
Sheriff Brown said the quick response and action by deputies may have prevented further loss of life.
“There is no question in my mind, at this point, that their resolute actions and valor in doing so, very well may have prevented further loss of life and injury,” said Brown.
Elliot Rodger Recorded and Posted Several of his Videos on the Internet
Elliot Rodger made several videos and posted them on the Internet, including one video where, he says, was recorded the day before he went on a shooting and killing spree on Friday night. In that video, he calmly rambles about toward women along with his anger at being rejected by them and living in loneliness and isolation.
He said he planned to go to “the hottest sorority house” and kill those inside before he drives on the streets of Isla Vista and starts shooting at people as “retribution” for being rejected.
“I will slaughter every single, spoiled stuck-up blonde slut I see inside there (sorority),” he said. “I will take great pleasure in slaughtering all of you. You will finally see that I am, in truth, the superior one. The true alpha male.”
Rodger then laughs; laughter that is short and sounds contrived before saying, “yes.”
“After I’ve annihilated every single girl in the sorority house, I will take to the streets of Isla Vista and slay every single person I see there,” he said. “All those popular kids that live such lives of hedonistic pleasure while I’ve had to rot in loneliness for all these years. They’ve all looked down upon me every time I tried to go out and join them. They’ve all treated me like a mouse.”
Adding, “but now, I will be a god compared to you. You will all be animals. You are animals, and I will slaughter you like animals. I’ll be a god, exacting my retribution to all those who deserve it. You do deserve it. Just for the crime of living a better life than me. All you popular kids, you never accepted me. Now, you will all pay for it.”
Elliot Rodger says he wants all of humanity who describes as “animals” to pay for his isolation, loneliness and rejection.
“Well, this is my last video. It all has to come to this Tomorrow is the day I will have my revenge against humanity. Against all of you that for the last eight years of my life ever since I’ve hit puberty I have been forced to endure an existence of loneliness, rejection and unfulfilled desires all because girls have never been attracted to me. Girls gave their affection and sex and love to other men but never to me. I am 22 years old and still a virgin. I’ve never even kissed a girl.
I’ve been through college two and a half years, more than that actually, and I am still a virgin,” he said. “It has been very torturous.”
Rodger, who describes himself as a virgin, said college is the time when everyone experiences those things such as sex and fun.
“In those years, I’ve had such a rotten loneliness. It’s not fair. You girls have never been attracted to me. I don’t know why you girls aren’t attracted to me,” he said. “But I will punish you all for it. It is an injustice, a crime. I don’t know what you don’t see in me. Yet you throw yourselves at all these obnoxious men. Instead of me, the Supreme Gentlemen. I will punish all of you for it.”
Adding, “girls all I’ve ever wanted was to love you and to be loved by you. I wanted a girlfriend, I wanted sex. I wanted love, affection, adoration. You think I am unworthy of it. That’s a crime that can never be forgiven. If I can’t have you, girls, I will destroy you. You denied me a happy a life, in turn I will deny you life.
He said humanity is “, wretched and depraved” that deserves to be destroyed.
“If I had it in my power, I would stop at nothing to reduce every single one of you to mountains of scum and rivers of blood and rightfully so,” Rodger said.
In a video posted on LiveLead May 23, 2014, Rodger Talks About His Reaction to Seeing a Couple on the Beach
Excerpts from the video:
“My reaction to seeing a young couple at the beach. Envy,” he said.
When he sees a couple kissing on the beach, he said: “This is the reason why life isn’t fair. Why does this guy get to have such a beautiful girlfriend while I am all alone?”
Adding, “I hate them so much. Why does he deserve to get that experience and not me.”
In another video posted May 23 and titled “Lonely Walk,” Rodgers describes walking at the golf course.
Here are some excerpts from the video: “This world is such a beautiful place. It’s such a tragedy that I’ve had to live, you know, in such a pathetic life in it all because of the cruelty of humanity and women.”
“I am missing out in life, sex, love and companionship……But girls are not sexually attracted to me. There’s a major problem with that major problem. That’s a problem I intend to rectify. (laughs) I, in all my magnificence and power. I will not let this fly. It’s an injustice that needs to be dealt with (smiles).
A video titled, “Why do Girls Hate Me So Much,” Rodger pretends to talk to Girls
Here are excerpts: “I do everything I can to appear attractive to you. I dress nice. I am sophisticated. I am magnificent. I have a nice car, a BMW. Well, nicer than 90 percent of people at my college.”
“I am polite. I’m the ultimate gentleman and yet you girls never give me a chance. I don’t know why. I put a lot of effort into dressing nice. These sunglasses here were $300, Gorgio Armani. So I’ll put them on. See, look at how fabulous I look. (removes glasses.).”