Elliot Rodger: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Fixed typo that caused it to be deleted earlier
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
Creating Elliot Rodger article as I believe he is notable. He is the one who made the incel community known to the world and his attacks have inspired others mass murders like the 2018 Toronto Van Attack. His attacks are still influencing other mass murderers and incels still almost 10 years later.
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox person
#REDIRECT [[2014 Isla Vista killings#Perpetrator]]
| name = Elliot Rodger

| image = ElliotRodgerDriverLicense.jpg
{{Redirect category shell|
| caption = [[Driver's license]] photo of Rodger
{{R to section}}
| birth_name = Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger
{{R from person}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1991|7|24}}
{{R from subtopic}}
| birth_place = [[London|London, England]]
{{R with history}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|May 23, 2014|July 24, 1991}}
{{R printworthy}}
| death_place = [[Isla Vista, California]], U.S.
| death_cause = [[Suicide by gunshot]]
| nationality = {{Plainlist|
* United Kingdom
* United States
}}
}}
| other_names = {{Plainlist|
* Virgin Killer
* The Supreme Gentleman
* Saint Elliot (by [[incel]]s)
}}
| occupation = Student
| movement = [[Incel]]s
| father = [[Peter Rodger]]
| relatives =
*[[Soumaya Akaaboune]] (step-mother)
*[[George Rodger]] (grandfather)
}}

''' Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger''' (July 24, 1991 – May 23, 2014) was an English-American former college student and mass murderer responsible for the [[2014 Isla Vista killings]]. On May 23, 2014, Rodger killed six people and injured 14 others by using knives, [[semi-automatic pistol]]s, and his car in [[Isla Vista, California]], near the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]]. Rodger first killed his two roommates and their friend in the apartment they shared, ambushing and stabbing them one at a time as they arrived. Hours later, Rodger uploaded a video on [[YouTube]] titled "Elliot Rodger's Retribution," in which he detailed his intentions to target Isla Vista, explaining his motivations were to "punish" women for their lack of interest in him and men who were sexually active, driven by his hatred towards them.

Additionally, he made a 137-page manifesto titled ''My Twisted World: The Story of Elliot Rodger'', with it explaining his life story and frustrations with having stayed a virgin his whole life. Rodger emailed his manifesto to family members, acquaintances, and his therapists. He then drove to a sorority house and attempted to get in. Unable to enter, Rodger shot three women walking outside the sorority house, killing two. He then drove to a nearby delicatessen and shot and killed a man inside. After that, Rodger drove around Isla Vista, shooting at people and hitting others with his BMW. He shot back at sheriff's deputies twice and got shot in the hip. He later crashed his car into a parked vehicle. As police went around the vehicle, they found Rodger dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.

==Early life==
Elliot Rodger was born on July 24, 1991, in London, England to parents [[Peter Rodger]] and Li Chin.<ref name="thought">{{cite web|url=https://thoughtcatalog.com/denise-noe/2015/12/the-enraged-virgin-who-terrorized-isla-vista-in-revenge-for-his-sexual-and-social-rejection/|title=The Enraged Virgin Who Terrorized Isla Vista In Revenge For His Sexual And Social Rejection|work=[[Thought Catalog]]|last1=Noe|first1= Denise|date=December 14, 2015|accessdate=February 25, 2024}}</ref> His mother is Malaysian and worked as a nurse during the production of ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade''. His father is British and was involved in the film industry, directing commercials and serving as a second unit director on the 2012 film ''[[The Hunger Games (film)|The Hunger Games]]''.<ref name="abcnews">{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/fullpage/secret-life-elliot-rodger-24322227|title=The Secret Life of Elliot Rodger|publisher=[[ABC News]]|last1=Springer|first1=Andrew|accessdate=February 25, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2014/05/26/the-woman-the-killer-blamed-his-misogyny-on/|title=The woman the UCSB killer blamed for his misogyny|work=[[New York Post]]|last1=Massarella|first1=Linda|last2=K. Li|first2=David|last3=Golding|first3=Bruce|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger hailed from the notable Rodger family, which had a history of wealth before suffering financial loss during the [[Great Depression]]. Rodger's grandfather, [[George Rodger]], was a well-known photojournalist known for his [[World War II]] photography. The Rodgers would later move to Sussex, where Peter started working as a professional photographer. Li Chin left her nursing job to watch her son, later welcoming a daughter into the family. Rodger's grandmother later moved in, with Rodger developing a close bond with her.<ref name="guard1">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/26/california-gunman-elliot-rodger-happy-english-childhood|title=California killer Elliot Rodger remembered happy English childhood|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger had a privileged childhood, experiencing affluence from a young age. He traveled to four different countries before he turned four years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://qz.com/213553/what-isla-vista-shooter-horrific-manifesto-my-twisted-world-says-about-values|title=What a close read of the Isla Vista shooter's horrific manifesto, “My Twisted World,” says about his values—and ours|work=[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]|last=Yang|first=Jeff|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger started attending Dorset House, a private all-boys school.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11311688.headmaster-of-west-sussex-school-attended-by-mass-murderer-elliot-rodger-expresses-shock-at-killings/|title=Headmaster of West Sussex school attended by mass murderer Elliot Rodger expresses shock at killings|work=[[The Argus]]|date=July 1, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger disliked the school due to its strict environment, often leaving him in tears.<ref name="guard1"/>

When Rodger was five, his family moved to the United States, settling in Woodland Hills, California, an upscale suburb of Los Angeles.<ref name="guard1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/25/sheriff-mental-health-shortcomings-california-rampage|title=Sheriff highlights mental-health shortcomings after California killings|work=[[The Guardian]]|last1=Carroll|first1=Rory|last2=Pengelly|first2=Martin|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 25, 2024}}</ref> He became friends with a girl and considered her the only female friend he ever had.<ref name="news211">{{cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/life/archive/summary-of-elliot-rodgers-manifesto-part-1-20140527|title=Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 1|work=[[News24 (website)|News24]]|last1=Shortridge|first1=Laura|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=March 13, 2024}}</ref> He went to Pinecrest Schools, later attending Topanga Elementary School where he made a few friends, including a boy who would become his best friend for 14 years.<ref name="whit">{{cite web|url=https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2014/05/25/santa-barbara-shooting-suspect-was-soft-spoken-polite-a-gentleman-ex-principal-says/|title=Santa Barbara shooting: Suspect was ‘soft-spoken, polite, a gentleman', ex-principal says|work=[[Whittier Daily News]]|last1=Gazzar|first1=Brenda|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 25, 2024}}</ref><ref name="abc7">{{cite web|url=https://abc7.com/isla-vista-shootings-killings-elliot-rodger/77726/|title=Isla Vista shootings: Search warrants served at homes of Elliot Rodger's parents|publisher=[[ABC News|ABC7]]|last=Hayes|first=Rob|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> When Rodger was seven, his parents divorced, causing him to be devastated.<ref name="cnn7">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/24/us/california-shooting-suspect/index.html|title=Inside the gunman's head: Rejection, jealousy and vow to kill ‘beautiful girls'|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Yan|first1=Holly|last2=Brumfield|first2=Ben|last3=J. Carter|first3=Chelsea|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 25, 2024}}</ref> Rodger and his younger sister lived with their mother during the weekdays and spent weekends with their father.<ref name="thought"/> A year after the divorce, Rodger's father married [[Soumaya Akaaboune]], a Moroccan-born French actress known for her role in ''[[Les Vraies Housewives]]'', the French version of ''[[The Real Housewives]]'' series, and for having a small role in [[Matt Damon]]'s movie ''[[Green Zone (film)|Green Zone]]''.<ref name="abcnews"/><ref name="sydney">{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/alleged-gunman-elliot-rodger-22-lived-a-life-of-privilege-20140525-zrndx.html|title=Alleged gunman Elliot Rodger, 22, lived a life of privilege|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|last1=Idato|first1=Michael|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 25, 2024}}</ref> Rodger began showing signs of social and communication difficulties early in life. Throughout his time in elementary school, Rodger would be quiet and withdrawn, often whispering answers if addressed, and preferred to write information down on paper rather than talk. He would use recess to hide behind buildings, avoiding peer interaction. Social gatherings like birthday parties made him anxious, and on one occasion at [[Disneyland]], he was overwhelmed to tears by the crowds of people.<ref name="santabarb">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.com/2015/02/20/elliot-rodger-report-details-long-struggle-mental-illness/|title=Elliot Rodger Report Details Long Struggle with Mental Illness|work=[[Santa Barbara Independent]]|last1=Brugger|first1=Kelsey|date=February 20, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref name="los">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-isla-vista-rampage-20150220-story.html|title=Elliott Rodger, a quiet, troubled loner, plotted rampage for months|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|last1=Serna|first1=Joseph|last2=Mather|first2=Kate|last3=Covarrubias|first3=Amanda|date=February 19, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger and his sister never became close; he viewed her as a rival. He would throw tantrums over issues involving her, such as having to share a PlayStation 2 or feeling upset when her friends came to his birthday party.<ref name="news211"/><ref name="news2402">{{cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/life/archive/summary-of-elliot-rodgers-manifesto-part-2-20140527|title=Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 2|work=[[News24 (website)|News24]]|last1=Shortridge|first1=Laura|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=March 13, 2024}}</ref> Rodger often felt jealous when his friends would talk to each other instead of focusing on him. He also felt angry when his friends talked to his sister, leaving him feeling abandoned.<ref name="news211"/>

In 1999, Rodger's mother filed an affidavit for more child support. She labeled her son as a "high-functioning autistic child" and claimed that she needed more child support to look after their son because of his special needs. Rodger's father presented a doctor who stated the autism diagnosis was fake because the initial diagnosis might have missed conditions like depression or anxiety. Scappa recommended that Rodger should undergo additional evaluation by a child psychiatrist to secure a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.<ref name="new">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/02/us/elliot-rodger-killings-in-california-followed-years-of-withdrawal.html|title=Before Brief, Deadly Spree, Trouble Since Age 8|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Nagourney|first1=Adam|last2=Cieply|first2=Michael|last3=Feuer|first3=Alan|last4=Lovett|first4=Ian|date=June 1, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Around this time, Rodger began having a difficult relationship with Akaaboune.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/soumaya-akaaboune-and-six-year-old-son-were-planned-targets-of-elliot-rodger-698630|title=Soumaya Akaaboune and Six-Year-Old Son Jazz Were Planned Targets of Elliot Rodger|work=[[The Epoch Times]]|last1=Stieber|first1=Zachary|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 25, 2024}}</ref><ref name="indep">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/california-shootings-elliot-rodger-s-revealed-as-a-cripplingly-shy-boy-whose-sense-of-alienation-drove-him-over-the-edge-9434060.html|title=California shootings: Elliot Rodger's revealed as a cripplingly shy boy whose sense of alienation drove him over the edge|work=[[The Independent]]|last1=Dutta|first1=Kunal|last2=Walker|first2=Tim|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 25, 2024}}</ref> As he grew, Rodger became more aware and uncomfortable with his height and slender frame, realizing he was the smallest person in his fourth-grade class.<ref name="whit"/> He compared himself to classmates who were taller, which led him to play basketball with the hope it might help him grow. When Rodger saw others outplaying him on the court, he felt defeated and eventually quit.<ref name="news211"/> Rodger also became embarrassed about being of mixed race—half-white and half-Asian—which he felt set him apart from his peers who were entirely white.<ref name="thought"/> In an effort to blend in, at nine years old, Rodger dyed his hair blond and picked up skateboarding, hoping these changes would help him become friends with other children.<ref name="indep"/><ref name="wrap">{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/elliot-rodger-ucsb-shooter-portrait-of-a-psychopath-ucsb-shooter-elliot-rodger-a-child-of-hollywood-privilege-isolation/|title=Portrait of a Psychopath: UCSB Shooter Elliot Rodger a Child of Hollywood, Privilege, Isolation|work=[[TheWrap]]|last=Waxman|first=Sharon|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 26, 2024}}</ref> Despite his extreme shyness and struggle to engage in conversations, Rodger started to speak with the "cool kids" and even attempted to talk to girls.<ref name="news2402"/> He would later begin to experience feelings of resentment, convinced that his life was unfair compared to his peers.<ref name="abcnews"/> Rodger felt that establishing friendships became increasingly difficult, particularly with women, leading to a sense of isolation and frustration.<ref name="thought"/><ref name="wrap"/><ref name="indep"/>

==Middle years==
Rodger's mother had met [[George Lucas]] and dated him for a bit, leading to Rodger and his mother getting invitations to ''[[Star Wars]]'' red carpet premieres.<ref name="wrap"/><ref name="new"/><ref name="cnn7"/> Rodger immersed himself in video games, and was gifted an Xbox to play popular games such as ''[[Halo (series)|Halo]]'' for hours.<ref name="wrap"/> During this period, Akaaboune became pregnant and subsequently gave birth to a son.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://laist.com/news/peter-rodger-tells-barbara-walters|title=Peter Rodger Tells Barbara Walters He Didn't See His Son's Massacre In Isla Vista Coming|work=[[KPCC (FM)|LAist]]|last=Bennett Rylah|first=Juliet|date=June 25, 2014|accessdate=February 26, 2024}}</ref> Rodger's enjoyment of movies began to wane due to his discomfort with couples present at the movies.<ref name="wrap"/> Throughout his middle school years, his social interactions significantly decreased, leading him to find solace in the online game ''[[World of Warcraft]]''. This game became a major part of his life, consuming up to 14 hours daily at his mother's house and serving as his primary form of social engagement.<ref name="wrap"/><ref name="indep"/> When Rodger was 11, he found someone in an online chat room who shared explicit images of naked blond women with him. The exposure to pornography was new for Rodger, finding himself overwhelmed with shock and emotions upon viewing the pictures.<ref name="cnn7"/> Upon reaching puberty, Rodger experienced an intense sexual attraction toward women, often masturbating to images of women online. He developed a high sex drive and began to believe he would never have sex with women.<ref name="news2421">{{cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/life/archive/Summary-of-Elliot-Rodgers-manifesto-part-3-20140527|title=Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 3|work=[[News24 (website)|News24]]|last1=Shortridge|first1=Laura|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=March 13, 2024}}</ref> After his mother moved into an apartment in Calabasas, California, Rodger saw it as beneath his standards and chose not to bring friends over, concerned they would judge him due to the living conditions.<ref name="news2402"/> By the time Rodger was in middle school, feeling like an outcast, he began to intentionally annoy classmates to gain some attention. Rodger became known as the "quiet" and "weird kid," leading to teasing and bullying from other classmates.<ref name="news2402"/> Rodger was also bullied by a blond girl, leading him to start to hate women, whom he viewed as "heartless creatures."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10857422/Schoolgirl-blamed-by-Elliot-Rodger-for-hatred-of-women-doesnt-remember-him.html|title=Schoolgirl blamed by Elliot Rodger for hatred of women doesn't remember him|work=[[The Telegraph]]|last=Allen|first=Nick|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=March 11, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elliot-rodger-manifesto-model-devastated-at-being-named-as-a-bully-by-isla-vista-killer-9438581.html|title=Elliot Rodger manifesto: Monette Moio 'devastated' at being named as a ‘bully’ by Isla Vista killer|work=[[The Independent]]|last=Saul|first=Heather|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 26, 2024}}</ref> While at an Internet cafe, Rodger was startled and curious when he saw an older teenager watching pornography, feeling a mixture of shock and arousal. Subsequently, Rodger walked home alone, crying and feeling too guilty to talk with his parents about it. As time passed, Rodger's inability to engage in sex worsened his misery.<ref name="cnn7"/>

After finishing middle school, Rodger was eager to distance himself from girls and enrolled in Crespi Carmelite High School, an all-boys Roman Catholic school. He initially looked forward to the new start, but his anticipation quickly turned to anxiety on his first day. Upon arriving and observing the older, taller students, Rodger experienced overwhelming fear, leading him to break down in tears and confess to his father that he was too scared to exit the car.<ref name="new"/> During his first week at Crespi Carmelite High School, Rodger faced bullying from seniors, including incidents where they threw food at him during lunch.<ref name="wrap"/><ref name="patch">{{cite web|url=https://patch.com/california/woodlandhills/isla-vista-mass-murderer-describes-life-at-valley-schools-in-manifesto|title=Isla Vista Mass Murderer Says He Was Bullied at Valley Schools|publisher=[[Patch (website)|Patch]]|last1=Arévalo|first1=Penny|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> In one incident, Rodger, having fallen asleep in class, had his head taped to his desk by classmates.<ref name="wrap"/><ref name="new20">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/us/california-drive-by-shooting.html|title=Video Rant, Then Deadly Rampage in California Town|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Lovett|first1=Ian|last2=Nagourney|first2=Adam|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> The bullying escalated with students calling him homophobic slurs and taunting him over his fear of interacting with girls. Overwhelmed by the bullying, Rodger felt powerless to respond, often crying alone during school hours.<ref name="whit"/><ref name="patch"/> As the bullying continued, Rodger began to wait for the halls to be empty before going to his next class. He started to avoid doing his homework and would continue to play ''World of Warcraft'' for hours.<ref name="new"/> On the last day of Rodger's freshman year, a classmate bragged about having sexual relations with his girlfriend. Rodger didn't believe him, causing his classmate to play a voice recording of him and his girlfriend being intimate. Rodger was soon overcome with rage and jealousy. He was shortly called into the office and was picked up by his mother. During the car ride, Rodger sobbed heavily and shared the ordeal with her, marking his final day at the school.<ref name="new20"/><ref name="news2421"/> His parents then enrolled him in Taft Charter High School, a public school with a student population of approximately 2,700.<ref name="new" /> The transition to Taft Charter High School intensified Rodger's fears due to its large student population.<ref name="whit" /> Rodger would be shoved against lockers and suffered verbal abuse from male students in the presence of female students.<ref name="new" /> One afternoon, while leaving the school premises, Rodger stopped dead in his tracks and started having an anxiety attack. School staff had to call his mother to come and escort her son to her car.<ref name="thought" /><ref name="new" /> After only a week of attending Taft High School, Rodger parents withdrew him from the school.<ref name="new" /> Rodger spent several weeks at home not attending school. His parents then chose to enroll him in Independence High School, a school of roughly 100 students that offered three to four hours of daily teaching aimed at assisting students facing challenges, believing it to be a safer environment where their son wouldn't face bullying.<ref name="new" /><ref name="whit" />

In 2007, Rodger was diagnosed with [[pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified]] (PDD-NOS), a condition on the autism spectrum that leads to challenges in social development.<ref name="nexus">{{cite web|last1=Mineiro|first1=Megan|last2=Yelimeli|first2=Supriya|date=February 20, 2015|title=Sheriff Releases Report Detailing Events, Investigation of 2014 I.V. Mass Murder|url=https://dailynexus.com/2015-02-20/sheriff-releases-report-detailing-events-of-2014-i-v-mass-murder/|work=[[Daily Nexus]]|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> At the age of 15, he was prescribed [[Xanax]] and [[Prozac]], eventually taking [[Paxil]], but stopped taking them after a year later.<ref name="santabarb" /> At the age of 17, the mere suggestion of visiting [[Morocco]] triggered a temper tantrum from Rodger. Despite his initial resistance, he ended up going with his step-mother and half brother but remained discontent, emailing his mother non-stop until she finally gave in and allowed him to return to her home.<ref name="news24">{{cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/life/archive/summary-of-elliot-rodgers-manifesto-part-4-20140527|title=Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 4|work=[[News24 (website)|News24]]|last1=Shortridge|first1=Laura|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> The commercial directing industry began to decline, worsened due to the [[September 11 attacks]]. Rodger's father's career was severely impacted.<ref name="new"/> Rodger's father later created a documentary titled ''[[Oh My God (2009 film)|Oh My God]]'', which took him to over 23 countries in two and a half years to interview celebrities like [[Hugh Jackman]] and [[Ringo Starr]] on their perceptions of God.<ref name="sydney" /> The documentary's release in November 2009 was a financial failure, selling only a few tickets and costing Rodger's father around $200,000, money he had secured from his home's equity.<ref name="new" /> This drove Rodger's father into debt and forced him to stop child support payments. He explained to a judge that his business had not made money for more than a year, leaving him without any income and in search of work. He sought to reduce his child support payments for his two children from $2,000 monthly. Rodger's mother acknowledged that her ex-husband financed his documentary by leveraging his home but agreed to pause child support payments for a year. Rodger's mother explained that she only made $40,000 a year working as a research assistant for a film company, and stated that she found herself relying on family and friends for money.<ref name="cnn172">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/27/justice/california-elliot-rodger-wealth/index.html|title=California killer's family struggled with money, court documents show|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Duke|first1=Alan|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref>

After spending so much time on video games, Akaaboune became concerned about Rodger's unwillingness to socialize, and often requested that others spend time with him, but this would anger Rodger, causing him to argue with his step-mother.<ref name="new" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Piper|first1=Matthew|date=May 27, 2014|title=Utes RB Lucky Radley recalls California killer's alarming silence as child|url=https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=57989927&itype=CMSID|work=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> In a later event Rodger rescued his younger brother from drowning in their family pool.<ref name="wrap" /> His relationships with his step-mother and father grew increasingly strained over time, ultimately leading to him being kicked out from their house. Rodger soon harbored a fixation on becoming rich, believing it to be the key to gaining attention from women. He urged his mother to marry a wealthy man, wanting her to disregard her happiness for his ambitions into wealth. His mother expressed unwillingness to remarry. She suggested to her son to direct his energies toward writing and directing, recognizing his potential talent in that area, and mentioned he could make money out of it.<ref name="cnn172" /> Considering this, Rodger thought that becoming a successful screenwriter would be a quick path to wealth. Upon realizing the time and effort required for the success, he quickly gave up.<ref name="news24" /> Rodger disliked high school a lot and was determined to graduate early. He stopped playing ''World of Warcraft'', soon maintaining nearly perfect attendance and achieving straight A's in the majority of his classes. Although fellow students made efforts to connect with him, inviting him to join them, Rodger consistently disregarded their attempts.<ref name="thought" /><ref name="new" /><ref name="whit" /> Rodger graduated from Independence High School in 2010.<ref name="thought" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/05/25/elliot-rodgers-manifesto-reveals-a-long-struggle-to-fit-in/|title=Elliot Rodger's manifesto reveals a long struggle to fit in|work=[[The Mercury News]]|last1=Gazzar|first1=Brenda|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/452726/elliot-rodger-could-not-stopped-because-being-sad-not-crime|title=Elliot Rodger could not be stopped because 'being sad is not a crime'|work=[[The Week]]|last1=Hansen|first1=Laura|date=January 8, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref>

==Later life==
By 18, Rodger stopped going to the mental health care his family provided and refused to take psychiatric medication he had been prescribed.<ref name="abcnews"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/05/ucsb-mass-shooter-refused-psychiatric-medicines-parents-in-hiding/|title=UCSB Shooter Elliot Rodger Refused His Psychiatric Medicines, His Parents Now In Hiding|publisher=[[Radar Online]]|last1=Heger|first1=Jen|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> He blamed his parents responsible for his lack of wealth, blaming his mother for not marrying a wealthier man for his benefit and criticized his father for using his money towards ''Oh My God''.<ref name="cnn172"/> Rodger went on to enroll in [[Los Angeles Pierce College]] but didn't stay long, choosing to leave the institution after seeing too many happy couples that caused him rage.<ref name="new"/><ref name="wrap"/><ref name="news2421"/> Despite his mother's encouragement to seek employment, Rodger frequently passed his time reading at ''[[Barnes & Noble]]'' or wandering around his mother's house, harboring the hope that he ran into a blond woman that found him attractive. He would later sit by himself in cafes, hoping for any woman to approach him..<ref name="news24"/> Worried about his direction in life, his parents tried to help him find a job, and despite their attempts, Rodger was resistant to the idea of employment, asserting that the jobs offered to him were "beneath him."<ref name="wrap"/> When Rodger's half-brother began to show signs of becoming more social, Rodger felt jealous, but still liked him.<ref name="news24"/>

Not wanting to work, Rodger visited [[Moorpark College]] with his mother. He became attracted by its smaller size and appealing aesthetics, deciding to enroll. He began becoming hopeful that the change would mark a new beginning, particularly with the prospect of meeting blond women and fantasized about showing a potential girlfriend around his new college campus. However, Rodger quickly found himself feeling lonely and sad at Moorpark. He developed feelings of envy towards a couple in one of his classes. By the time he turned 19, Rodger decided to take one class, a political science course, partly relieved that the couple from his previous class was not present, although he still encountered them on campus. His discomfort was further fueled by his social anxiety, particularly when he was called upon by a professor. After completing a year at Moorpark College, he dropped out in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.vcstar.com/news/elliot-rodger-sought-fresh-start-at-moorpark-college-before-moving-to-santa-barbara-ep-459676545-351349811.html|title=Elliot Rodger sought fresh start at Moorpark College before moving to Santa Barbara|work=[[Ventura County Star]]|last1=Aguilar|first1=Mercedes|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://patch.com/california/moorpark/ucsb-shooter-idd-as-previous-moorpark-college-student|title=UCSB Shooter ID'd as Previous Moorpark College Student|publisher=[[Patch (website)|Patch]]|last1=Arévalo|first1=Penny|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=March 28, 2024}}</ref> Rodger took comfort in knowing that his friend of 14 years was also a virgin. But considering that he and his friend were both virgins, he couldn't understand why his friend wasn't as angry with women as he was. Seeing his friend as weak, Rodger eventually revealed his thoughts of taking over the world and killing people. Their friendship grew strained over time, and his friend began to distance himself from Rodger more. Rodger also increasingly shared with his few friends his disturbing fantasies about dominating the world and committing acts of torture and murder. Over time, these conversations began to take a toll on his friendships, leading his friends to distance themselves and avoid him.<ref name="news242">{{cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/life/archive/Summary-of-Elliot-Rodgers-manifesto-part-5-20140527|title=Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 5|work=[[News24 (website)|News24]]|last1=Shortridge|first1=Laura|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref>

====Santa Barbara====
[[File:Sunset in Isla Vista April 2014.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Rodger moved to [[Isla Vista, California]] (''pictured in April 2014'') in hopes of getting a girlfriend and losing his virginity.]]
In an attempt to help Rodger socialize more and reduce his isolation, his parents decided to send him to college in Santa Barbara.<ref name="abcnews"/> They agreed to pay for his apartment and college classes, optimistic that being their son being part of a college community would encourage him to make friends.<ref name="wrap"/> Rodger agreed after watching the 2006 American crime drama film ''Alpha Dog''. Thinking about the film, Rodger believed moving to Santa Barbara would give him the chance to go to parties and finally lose his virginity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2014/05/25/the-twisted-hate-filled-manifesto-of-calif-gunman-elliot-rodger/|title=The vile manifesto of a killer|work=[[New York Post]]|last1=Massarella|first1=Linda|last2=Rosenbaum|first2=Sophia|last3=Greene|first3=Leonard|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> In June 2011, Rodger moved out of his mother's house to the Capri Apartments in [[Isla Vista, California]], near the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]] and would attend [[Santa Barbara City College]].<ref name="thought"/> Shortly after settling in, Rodger experienced intense jealousy towards one of his roommates black friends who shared that he had lost his virginity at the age of 13. This deeply upset Rodger, driving him to retreat to his room in tears and reach out to his mother, expressing his frustration and jealousy over the attention black men received from blond women instead of him.<ref name="news242"/> Rodger found it hard to get along with several different roommates and chose to spend much of his time alone, seeking solitude at a golf course or the beaches around Isla Vista.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/us/limits-to-law-and-information-sharing-despite-gunmans-danger-signs.html|title=Limits to Law and Information Sharing, Despite Gunman's Danger Signs|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Nagourney|first1=Adam|last2=Goode|first2=Erica|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger was later given two new Hispanic roommates, and would call them racial slurs. After the two moved out, Rodger was soon paired with another roommate in September 2011. Their relationship deteriorated over time, leading the roommate to send a letter to Capri's management asking to be assigned a new apartment. The roommate mentioned that Rodger was mean several times and had "huge psychological issues." He stated that Rodger was a "ticking time bomb waiting to explode" and said they feared for their life.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dailynexus.com/2017-05-25/suit-against-i-v-shooters-housing-complex-progresses/|title=Suit Against I.V. Shooter's Housing Complex Progresses|work=[[Daily Nexus]]|last=Ochoa|first=Jose|date=May 25, 2017|accessdate=March 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.com/2015/06/04/rodger-lawsuit-winds-through-court/|title=Rodger Lawsuit Winds Through Court|work=[[Santa Barbara Independent]]|last=Brugger|first=Kelsey|date=June 4, 2015|accessdate=March 10, 2024}}</ref>

Rodger developed a deep resentment towards the people in Isla Vista, seeing himself as a sophisticated person deserving of relationships with attractive blond women. He believed that women were wrong for rejecting him, and blamed men who were more successful than him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-isla-vista-main-20140526-story.html|title=In Isla Vista, red flags came too late|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|last1=Gold|first1=Scott|last2=Swellel|last3=Romney|first3=Lee|date=May 25, 2015|accessdate=March 10, 2024}}</ref> Rodger started to have thoughts of killing couples, envisioning himself stabbing them to death while they were engaged in sexual activity.<ref name="news242"/> In July 2011, during a visit to [[Starbucks]], Rodger noticed a couple engaging in a kiss. He followed them outside and, in a moment of anger, threw his coffee at them. The man yelled at Rodger, prompting him to flee the scene in fear.<ref name="thought"/><ref name="cnn">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/26/justice/california-elliot-rodger-timeline/index.html|title=Timeline to ‘Retribution': Isla Vista attacks planned over years|work=[[CNN]]|last=Duke|first=Alan|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> On another incident, just days away from turning 20, Rodger saw another couple kissing at a food court. Driven by jealousy, he tracked them down in his car and splashed them with iced tea.<ref name="cnn"/> Rodger soon developed an obsession with designer clothing, purchasing numerous items in an attempt to elevate his status.<ref name="los"/><ref name="wrap"/> Rodger would roam around Isla Vista every day, often sitting at one an outdoor table outside [[Domino's Pizza]], hoping that a woman would find him attractive and initiate a conversation with him. Rodger's feelings of jealousy were further inflamed when one of his roommates invited his girlfriend over, leading Rodger to internally question why a woman would choose to date someone he perceived as unattractive.<ref name="news242"/> In an attempt to find social connection, Rodger made a friend who introduced him to other acquaintances in hopes of integrating him into their circle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abc7news.com/news/friend-calls-santa-barbara-killer-a-really-lonely-guy/77151/|title=Friend Calls Santa Barbara Killer 'a Really Lonely Guy'|publisher=[[ABC News|ABC7]]|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2014/05/25/friend-santa-barbara-killer-elliot-rodger-wanted-to-dominate-the-world/|title=Friend: Santa Barbara killer Elliot Rodger wanted to ‘dominate the world'|work=[[Daily News (New York)|New York Daily News]]|last=Murphy|first=Doyle|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> In January 2012, while driving past a bus stop, Rodger saw two blond women and attempted to engage with them by smiling. When they did not return the smile, he turned his car around and splashed his latte on them.<ref name="forbes120">{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/05/24/the-disturbing-internet-footprint-of-santa-barbara-shooter-elliot-rodger/?sh=1aaf50e677c3|title=The Disturbing Internet Footprint Of Santa Barbara Shooter Elliot Rodger|work=[[Forbes]]|last=Hill|first=Kashmir|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref>

By February 2012, Rodger's frustration with his social interactions, particularly with blond women, led him to withdraw from all his college classes from Santa Barbara City College. Rodger began to contemplate what he referred to as the "Day of Retribution," a planned attack on the people in Isla Vista after feeling lonely and not wanting to remain a virgin any longer.<ref name="cnn" /> If the plans in mind, Rodger later attended a private [[Katy Perry]] concert in March 2012 and went to the red carpet premiere of ''The Hunger Games'' with his father the next day, where he met Jack Ross, the 16-year-old son of the film's director, [[Gary Ross]].<ref name="wrap" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/05/ucsb-shooter-privileged-life-attending-katy-perry-concert-flying-first-class/|title=UCSB Mass Murderer Led A Life Of Luxury Before Shooting Spree|publisher=[[Radar Online]]|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger began to believe the only way he would get a girlfriend was to get rich. He bought lottery tickets for the [[Mega Millions]] jackpot in June 2012, but his hopes were dashed when he lost. Fueled by anger, Rodger began to amass the funds he believed were necessary for his planned act of vengeance, saving up to $5,000 to buy the supplies he thought he needed.<ref name="cnn" /> In July 2012, while walking alone in a park, he saw college students playing kickball.<ref name="new" /> Overwhelmed by envy when seeing blond women interacting with men in the group, Rodger went to a [[Kmart]], purchased a [[Super Soaker]], and filled it with orange juice.<ref name="thought" /> He returned to the park and sprayed the students while yelling at them.<ref name="wrap" /><ref name="new" /> In August 2012, Rodger found ''[[The Secret (Byrne book)|The Secret]]'' by [[Rhonda Byrne]], a book that promoted the "law of attraction." Motivated by its principles, Rodger dedicated the entire month to meditating in his room, vividly imagining himself walking through a park alongside a beautiful woman. By September 2012, Rodger experienced despair after failing to win the $120 million Mega Millions jackpot, which led him to cry for hours and resulted in him breaking his laptop. The next day, he traveled to [[Oxnard, California]], to purchase a replacement laptop. While waiting for the new laptop, he visited a shooting range to to learn how to shoot a gun, believing that his "Day of Retribution" was now very possible. As he fired rounds at the range, Rodger found himself reflecting on the sequence of events that had brought him to that point.<ref name="cnn"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.vcstar.com/news/isla-vista-killer-was-from-calabasas-bought-gun-in-oxnard-slain-westlake-grad-mourned-ep-459683514-351350641.html/|title=Isla Vista killer was from Calabasas, bought gun in Oxnard; slain Westlake grad mourned|work=[[Ventura County Star]]|last=Diskin|first=Megan|date=June 22, 2014|accessdate=March 26, 2024}}</ref>

Initially, Rodger was uncertain whether to target Santa Barbara City College or Isla Vista for his attacks. Eventually, he decided to go with Isla Vista as the location for his rampage.<ref name="santabarb"/> He began to meticulously plan his attack around [[Halloween]] of 2013 but eventually scrapped the idea, fearing the heightened police presence typical of the holiday might thwart his plans.<ref name="los12">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/26/us/parents-nightmare-failed-race-to-stop-killings.html|title=Parents' Nightmare: Futile Race to Stop Killings|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|last=Nagourney|first=Adam|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> In November 2012, still hopeful of becoming rich, Rodger drove from Santa Barbara to Arizona to buy tickets for the Powerball jackpot, which had been raised to $500 million.<ref name="cnn"/> Despite driving over to Arizona four times, his efforts were met with consistent failure, each loss pushing him deeper into fury. Thinking he would remain a virgin forever, he actively began to prepare for his planned "Day of Retribution".<ref name="cnn172" /> By December 2012, Rodger bought a [[Glock|Glock 34]] semiautomatic pistol for $755.57 at a firearms dealer in [[Goleta, California]].<ref name="cnn"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/angry-loner-posted-plans-online-before-killing-spree-2gtcrqzvh08|title=Angry loner posted plans online before killing spree|work=[[The Times]]|last= Blakely|first=Rhys|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref name="losepop">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-isla-vista-elliot-rodger-search-history-nazis-20150219-htmlstory.html|title=Infographic: Elliot Rodger’s laptop search history: Nazis, knives and torture devices|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 19, 2015|accessdate=March 18, 2024}}</ref> As the spring of 2013 approached, Rodger's thoughts turned darker as he began to seriously contemplate orchestrating his "Day of Retribution" soon, purchasing a [[SIG Sauer P226]] handgun in March 2013 for $1,179.48 in [[Burbank, California]].<ref name="cnn" /><ref name="losepop"/> Rodger began to plan his attack for sometime in November 2013.<ref name="wrap" /> Rodger and two other people were placed as roommates in their apartment complex not long after having taken a questionnaire about their personalities. Rodger would go with them to the gym and dinner, but after a few occasions, he started to distance himself. He became withdrawn and was frequently heard having intense phone calls from his room. The roommates suspected that Rodger possessed a firearm because they had heard a clicking sound numerous times. They decided to move out in June 2013 as they became more uncomfortable living with him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/05/ucsb-shooters-former-roommate-regrets-silence.html|title=UCSB Shooter's Former Roommate: ‘Why Did I Not Say Anything?'|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|last=K. Raymond|first=Adam|date=May 30, 2014|accessdate=March 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/elliot-rodgers-former-roommate-tells-what-it-was-like-to-live-with-the-mass-murderer/news-story/45d8cb0c2911bce355dc00016cbb408a|title=Elliot Rodger's former roommate tells what it was like to live with the mass murderer|work=[[Herald Sun]]|date=May 30, 2014|accessdate=March 10, 2024}}</ref>

==Incident at house party==
On July 20, 2013, Rodger, intent on losing his virginity days before his 22nd birthday, consumed vodka to induce intoxication. He attended a party with the hope of engaging with women. Frustrated by his inability to talk with them, Rodger grew enraged and climbed a 10-foot ledge, pretending to shoot people with his finger.<ref name="abcnews"/><ref name="mother">{{cite web|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/06/santa-barbara-shooter-elliot-rodger-police-report/|title=Read: The Police Report From the Incident That Spurred Elliot Rodger to Mount His Killing Spree|work=[[Mother Jones]]|last=Blake|first=Mariah|date=June 14, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Subsequently, he attempted to shove multiple women off the ledge but was thwarted by a group of men who pushed him off instead, resulting in a fractured ankle. Following the fall, Rodger tried to leave the party but realized he had lost his sunglasses. Still highly inebriated, he attempted to return to the party but inadvertently walked into another house and got into another fight. The students called him names and beat him up. Rodger, battered and bloodied, had to stumble back to his apartment. The following day, two sheriff's deputies visited Rodger in the hospital. Rodger claimed being pushed off the ledge after insulting someone's appearance, asserting that he then went to a different house's front yard and sat on a law chair, when out of nowhere, approximately ten men showed up and beat him up. When asked why he didn't call the cops, Rodger claimed he didn't know who to reach out to.<ref name="mother"/>

A deputy remarked on Rodger's dishonesty, deeming him too "timid" and "shy" to tell the true events. A witness said a man who looked like Rodger began the fight by trying to push two women off a ledge. They didn't fall, but Rodger tried to push two more women before he jumped off the ledge and ran. The witness stated that Rodger was alone and acted strange He noted that Rodger wasn't talking to anyone at the party.<ref name="losangeles102">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-elliot-rodger-20140612-story.html|title=Police took no action in reported attack by Elliot Rodger in 2013|last=Mather|first=Kate|last2=Winton|first2=Richard|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 11, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> After arriving at his apartment, a neighbor observed Rodger returning home in tears, swearing to kill those who attacked him and contemplated suicide. Rodger disclosed in his manifesto that this event was the decisive moment that propelled him to finalize his plans for the attack. The sheriff's office concluded Rodger had started the fight, and the investigation was closed without further action. They did not arrest Rodger or interrogate him further.<ref name="cnn" /><ref name="mother" />

==Mental health and further planning==
In August 2013, fueled by resentment over his broken ankle and repeated rejections from women who he thought chose the wrong man, Rodger concluded that his only resolve was to enact his planned attack. However, hindered by his fractured ankle, he postponed his planned attacks until spring of 2014.<ref name="cnn"/> Rodger experienced envy when he discovered that his sister got a boyfriend, perceiving him as a successful man who attracted women sexually. Rodger soon overheard his sister and her boyfriend engaging in sexual activity at his mother's house, making him feel depressed that his younger sister had lost her virginity before he had.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/georgia-rodger-elliot-rodger-sister-pictured-for-first-time-698647|title=Georgia Rodger, Elliot Rodger Sister, Pictured For First Time [Updated]|last=Stieber|first=Zachary|work=[[The Epoch Times]]|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=March 16, 2024}}</ref> Rodger's parents sought more professional help for him, leading to therapy sessions with [[Charles Sophy]], a controversial psychiatrist who began treating Rodger in late 2012.<ref name="tele">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10866877/Celebrity-counsellors-could-not-save-Virgin-Killer-Elliot-Rodger.html|title=Celebrity counsellors could not save Virgin Killer Elliot Rodger|last=Sherwell|first=Phillip|work=[[The Telegraph]]|date=May 31, 2014|accessdate=March 16, 2024}}</ref> He prescribed him [[Risperidone]], an antipsychotic drug, which Rodger decided not to take after researching it online.<ref name="wrap"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/05/elliott-rodger-psychiatrist-mental-health-hunger-games/|title=Virgin Murderer Elliott Rodger Hadn't Seen Psychiatrist In 2 Years|last=Heger|first=Jen|publisher=[[Radar Online]]|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elliot-rodgers-family-was-en-route-to-intervene-at-time-of-rampage/|title=Elliot Rodger's family tried to intervene at time of rampage|publisher=[[CBS News]]|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mental-illness-in-spotlight-after-uc-santa-barbara-rampage/|title=Mental illness in spotlight after UC Santa Barbara rampage|publisher=[[CBS News]]|last=Firger|first=Jessica|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref> Subsequently, Rodger stopped going to his appointments with Sophy by the fall of 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2014/05/elliot-rodger-psychiatrist-real-housewives-appearance-by-charles-sophy-was-controversial.html|title=Psychiatrist Who Treated Elliot Rodger Has Worked With Paris Hilton, Real Housewives|last=Mathis-Lilly|first=Ben|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=May 28, 2014|accessdate=March 16, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/santa-barbara-shooters-therapist-has-2-707218/|title=Santa Barbara Shooter’s Therapist Has Ties With Hollywood|last=Baum|first=Gary|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=March 16, 2024}}</ref> Rodger sought assistance from family friend [[Dale Launer]], a filmmaker known for his work on relationship-themed movies, in improving his interactions with women. Launer agreed to help and offered advice on talking with women. However, Rodger found the guidance ineffective, believing it did not aid him in attracting women or in losing his virginity.<ref name="tele"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28197785|title=How I tried to help Elliot Rodger|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=July 9, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger was helped by three different counselors and attended 29 sessions between May 2013 and May 2014.<ref name="santabarb"/>

Rodger experienced jealousy and increased distress when he noticed women showing interest to one of his male counselors. Although he developed a connection with a female counselor, her relocation left him reluctant to seek a replacement, feeling that hiring a woman for companionship resembled engaging in prostitution.<ref name="forbes120"/> His parents also enlisted the help of a life coach named Gavin Linderman.<ref name="nooz">{{cite web|url=https://www.noozhawk.com/timeline_of_isla_vista_massacre_investigation_report/|title=Timeline of Isla Vista Massacre Reconstructs a Murderous Sequence|publisher=[[Noozhawk]]|last1= Giana|first1=Nicky|date=February 19, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Linderman provided Rodger with instructions to improve his social life, requiring Rodger to travel to Los Angeles for the sessions. During their meetings, Rodger opened up to the life coach about his struggles with his virginity.<ref name="nooz"/> Linderman suggested that moving out from Isla Vista would be beneficial, but Rodger promptly dismissed that idea.<ref name="wrap"/> Rodger's envy toward his six-year-old stepbrother intensified, particularly as his brother secured opportunities to appear in television commercials.<ref name="nash">{{cite web|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/world/elliot-rodger-spent-five-years-planning-day-of-retribution-that-included-plot-to-kill-six-year-old-brother|title=Elliot Rodger spent five years planning 'Day of Retribution' that included plot to kill six-year-old brother|work=[[The National Post]]|date=May 28, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Consumed by jealousy, Rodger began plotting the murder of his stepbrother, fearing his sibling would surpass him in popularity with girls.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10858971/Virgin-killer-Elliot-Rodger-planned-to-murder-his-family.html|title='Virgin killer' Elliot Rodger planned to murder his family|work=[[The Telegraph]]|last=Allen|first=Nick|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Additionally, he devised a plan to kill his step-mother by stabbing her in the neck due to disliking her.<ref name="nash"/> Rodger planned to commit the murders while his father was away on a business trip, as Rodger harbored concerns that he might hesitate if confronted with the task of killing his own father.<ref name="evening">{{cite web|date=May 27, 2014|title=US 'Virgin Killer' Elliot Rodger plotted to slaughter his own family, including his six-year-old brother|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/us-virgin-killer-elliot-rodger-plotted-to-slaughter-his-own-family-including-his-sixyearold-brother-9438674.html|work=[[Evening Standard]]|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/27/elliot-rodger-planned-murder-family-day-rampage/|title=Elliot Rodger planned to murder 6-year-old brother, stepmother|last=Chasmar|first=Jessica|work=[[The Washington Post]]|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Amidst his intentions, Rodger's mother bought him a used $40,000 2008 [[BMW 3 Series|BMW 328i Coupé]], giving a glimmer of hope within him that he might attract a girlfriend during the rest of 2013.<ref name="thought"/><ref name="cnn"/>

====Behavior with others====
In September 2013, Rodger was assigned a random apartment where he gained two new roommates, 20-year-old Weihan "David" Wang and 20-year-old Cheng Yuan "James" Hong.<ref name="cnn"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/21/parents-elliot-rodger-victims-criticise-authorities|title=Parents of Elliot Rodger victims criticise authorities' handling of case|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=June 21, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> As Wang's mother helped her son move his stuff into the apartment, she urged the three to take care of each other, which Rodger quickly brushed off.<ref name="los10291">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-isla-vista-roommates-20140621-story.html|title=UCSB friends were victims of circumstance|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|last=Mather|first=Kate|date=June 20, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger would spend most of his time out of the apartment or alone in his room,<ref name="los10291"/> making Wang feel bothered by Rodger's antisocial behavior. He filed complaints with the building manager, claiming Rodger played loud music during the night.<ref name="nbcbay">{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/weihan-david-wang-wanted-to-move-out-of-isla-vista-apartment-with-elliot-rodger-parents/86585/|title=Weihan “David” Wang Wanted to Move Out of Isla Vista Apartment With Elliot Rodger: Parents|publisher=[[NBC News|NBC Bay Area]]|last1=Smith|first1=Christie|last2=Fernandez|first2=Lisa|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-isla-vista-shootings-ucsb-elliot-rodgers-roommate-20140526-story.html|title=Isla Vista rampage: One of Elliot Rodger's roommates planned to move|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|last1=Harriet|first1=Ryan|last2=Flores|first2=Adolfo|last3=Mather|first3=Kate|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2014/05/26/slain-roommate-of-elliot-rodger-wanted-to-move-out-before-bloody-attack-say-anguished-parents/|title=Slain roommate of Elliot Rodger wanted to move out before bloody attack, say anguished parents|work=[[Daily News (New York)|New York Daily News]]|last1=Golgowski|first1=Nina|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> On January 15, 2014, Rodger and Hong got into a fight when Rodger accused Hong of stealing three of his candles valued at $22.<ref name="losangeles102"/> The conflict began when Rodger, irritated by Hong's cooking, took his measuring cup, prompting Hong to retaliate by taking Rodger's candles in an attempt to initiate a trade.<ref name="thought"/> Rodger placed Hong under a [[citizen's arrest]].<ref name="thought"/><ref name="losangeles102"/> Upon police intervention, Hong claimed he believed Rodger had stolen his possessions, including a rice bowl, though Rodger denied the allegations. Law enforcement discovered the candles on Hong's bed. After Hong refused to return the candles, he was arrested and charged with petty theft. He was found guilty, fined, and later released.<ref name="thought"/><ref name="losangeles102"/>

Hong had become angry by Rodger's actions but refrained from confronting him, concerned that it might worsen their living conditions. Hong and Wang distanced themselves from Rodger and signed a lease for a different apartment.<ref name="los10291"/> Rodger began to plan to murder Wang and Hong, due to disliking them and feeling they would get in the way of his attack.<ref name="cnn"/> By January 2014, Rodger contemplated launching his planned attack during [[Valentine's Day]] or [[Deltopia]], a spring break event drawing crowds to Isla Vista in early April. However, he dismissed these dates due to heightened police presence and his realization that he required additional time for preparation. Eventually, he settled on April 26, 2014, as the revised date for his attack.<ref name="cnn"/> He bought another SIG Sauer P226 handgun for $1,132 in Oxnard in February 2014 in case the other two firearms jammed.<ref name="losepop"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Flores|first=Byadolfo|last2=Winton|first2=Richard|last3=Mather|first3=Kate|date=May 30, 2014|title=Deputies didn't know Elliot Rodger owned guns, officials say|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-rodger-weapons-20140531-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Throughout February and March, Rodger visited gun ranges, making multiple ammunition purchases.<ref name="los"/> He funded his weapon purchases with money he had saved from gifts from his grandparents and the $500 monthly allowance his father sent him.<ref name="cnn172"/>

==Online activity==
Rodger mainly expressed his emotions through platforms like [[YouTube]], where he shared his frustrations about his romantic failures and his views on life.<ref name="new"/><ref name="newpost">{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2014/05/25/cops-never-saw-shooters-disturbing-videos-before-spree/|title=Cops never saw shooter's disturbing videos before spree|work=[[New York Post]]|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref name="ukborn">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/25/elliot-rodger-suspect-california-mass-murder-shooting-stabbing|title=California killings: UK-born Elliot Rodger blamed for deaths|work=[[The Guardian]]|last1=Pengelly|first1=Martin|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> In April 2014, he uploaded multiple videos on YouTube, expressing his deep loneliness and frustration due to his unsuccessful attempts at attracting a girlfriend. He couldn't comprehend why women would prefer "inferior" men over him, questioning why his perceived good looks, high end clothes, and expensive car failed to garner any attention or acknowledgment from women, with video titles such as: "Why do girls hate me so much?", "Life is so unfair because girls don't want me", and "My reaction to seeing a young couple at the beach, Envy".<ref name="thought"/><ref name="ukborn"/><ref name="newpost">{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2014/05/25/cops-never-saw-shooters-disturbing-videos-before-spree/|title=Cops never saw shooter's disturbing videos before spree|work=[[New York Post]]|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/alleged-ucsb-shooter-posted-several-disturbing-videos-watch/|title=Alleged UCSB Shooter Elliot Rodger Posted Several Disturbing Videos: Watch|work=[[TheWrap]]|last=Nededog|first=Jethro|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=March 28, 2024}}</ref> He would secretly follow couples and record them while complaining how lonely he felt by seeing them.<ref name="forbes120"/> In additional videos, he recorded himself taking scenic drives surrounded by palm trees and dancing to music from artists like [[Whitney Houston]], [[George Michael]], and [[Phil Collins]].<ref name="new"/><ref name="newyorker">{{cite web|url=https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-online-life-of-elliot-rodger|title=The Online Life of Elliot Rodger|work=[[The New Yorker]]|last1=Caspian Kang|first1=Jay|date=May 28, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.com/2014/05/24/insights-into-isla-vista-shooter-elliot-rodger/|title=Insights into Isla Vista Shooter Elliot Rodger|work=[[Santa Barbara Independent]]|last=Kettmann|first=Matt|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=March 28, 2024}}</ref> Rodger was subscribed to multiple YouTube channels associated with the [[Men's rights movement]], which posted content aimed at advising men on attracting and talking with women.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/elliot-rodger-shooting_b_5386818|title=The Men's Rights Movement Taught Elliot Rodger Everything He Needed to Know|work=[[Huffpost]]|last1=Theriault|first1=Anne|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref><ref name="newpost0102">{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2014/05/26/killers-links-to-the-mens-rights-activist-movement/|title=The killer's ties to ‘men's rights' groups|work=[[New York Post]]|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/elliot-rodger-california-mass-killing-suspect-voiced-hate-for-women-in-the-past-1.1838655|title=Elliot Rodger, California mass killing suspect, voiced hate for women in the past|publisher=[[CTV News]]|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref> Rodger also had a second YouTube channel named "Valtharion".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insideedition.com/8358-family-of-santa-barbara-shooter-elliot-rodger-calls-him-a-monster|title=Family of Santa Barbara Shooter Elliot Rodger Calls Him A 'Monster'|work=[[Inside Edition]]|date=May 29, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> He would leave negative comment across several videos, including calling women derogatory terms, saying racist statements, and accusing other men of lying about their relationships with women. Rodger also boasted about his affluent family background and expressed a sense of superiority due to being half-white.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://splinternews.com/elliot-rodger-left-behind-tons-of-sexist-racist-youtub-1793841790|title=Elliot Rodger Left Behind Tons of Sexist, Racist YouTube Comments From Second Account|publisher=[[Splinter News]]|last=Roy|first=Jessica|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> On his personal blog "Elliot Rodger's Official Blog," he portrayed himself as a "sophisticated, polite gentleman," expressing his difficulties in socializing and connecting with others in Isla Vista.<ref name="cnn7"/> Rodger shared selfies on his [[Facebook]] profile, showcasing himself enjoying luxurious plane rides and attending movie premieres.<ref name="npr12">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/05/24/315624700/alleged-shooter-in-california-left-vast-digital-trail|title=Alleged Shooter In California Left Vast Digital Trail|publisher=[[National Public Radio|NPR]]|last=Peralta|first=Eyder|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=March 2, 2024}}</ref> Rodger also frequently shared photos on his [[Google+]] and YouTube, often showcasing himself alongside his BMW.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.observer-reporter.com/news/2014/may/24/videos-show-suspected-rampage-shooters-anger/|title=Videos show suspected rampage shooter's anger|work=[[Observer–Reporter]]|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=March 2, 2024}}</ref> Rodger's online activities included numerous searches related to [[Nazi|Nazis]], such as researching [[Joseph Goebbels]] and [[Heinrich Himmler]], and looking up topics like "Did Adolf Hitler have a girlfriend," "Adolf Hitler and the law of attraction," "Nazi curbstomp," “Holocaust of black people," and "Nazi anime."<ref name="santabarb"/><ref name="nexus"/>

Rodger also searched for information on "modern torture devices" and "Spanish Inquisition torture devices."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shooting-california-idUKKBN0LO00N20150220/|title=Online Forum For Sexually Frustrated Men Reacts To News That Mass Shooter May Be One Of Their Own|publisher=[[Reuters]]|last1=Dobuzinskis|first1=Alex|date=February 19, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger frequently engaged with online communities such as ForeverAlone and PUAHate, where men who struggled with romantic relationships shared their grievances, critiqued each other and expressed disdain towards women and pick-up artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/30/elliot-rodger-puahate-forever-alone-reddit-forums|title='PUAhate' and 'ForeverAlone': inside Elliot Rodger's online life|work=[[The Guardian]]|last1=Woolf|first1=Nicky|date=May 30, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Within these forums, Rodger and other men identified themselves as "[[incel]]s," a term for involuntary celibate, where they discussed their struggles to find a romantic or sexual partner.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ucsb-shooting-forum-associated-with-elliot-rodger-reacts-2014-5|title=Online Forum For Sexually Frustrated Men Reacts To News That Mass Shooter May Be One Of Their Own|work=[[Business Insider]]|last1=Gell|first1=Aaron|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Because users on PUAHate shared similar negative perceptions of women, it further convinced Rodger that the difficulties some men experienced in finding partners were because women are "wicked and degenerate."<ref name="forbes120"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://time.com/134152/the-toxic-appeal-of-the-mens-rights-movement/|title=The Toxic Appeal of the Men's Rights Movement|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|last1=S. Fell|first1=James|date=May 29, 2014|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref><ref name="dot">{{cite web|url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/elliot-rodger-mens-rights-activists/|title=Why Elliot Rodger is being linked to the men's rights movement|work=[[The Daily Dot]]|last1=Baker-Whitelaw|first1=Gavia|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref> When a user suggested that lucid dreaming having sex could serve as a substitute for their lack of intimacy in real life, Rodger argued that incels needed to initiate a "revolution." He believed it was essential to "destroy" the issues they faced by recognizing their "true strength and numbers." Furthermore, Rodger advocated for the overthrow of what he termed the "oppressive feminist system," envisioning a world where women would live in fear of incels.<ref name="newpost0102"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2014/05/23/shooting-suspect-elliot-rodgers-misogynistic-posts-point-motive|title=Shooting Suspect Elliot Rodger's Misogynistic Posts Point To Motive"|publisher=[[Southern Poverty Law Center]]|last1=Glasstetter|first1=Josh|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=March 28, 2024}}</ref> Rodger also expressed racist views in his posts towards interracial couples, including mocking an Asian man trying to date a white women and stating it was "rage-inducing" after he saw a black man hanging out with white women.<ref name="los"/> After a user accused him of being racist, Rodger expressed that he was shocked that white women would choose "undeserving" men over him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2014/05/23/elliot-rodger-isla-vista-shooting-suspect-posted-racist-messages-misogynistic-website|title=Elliot Rodger, Isla Vista Shooting Suspect, Posted Racist Messages On Misogynistic Website|publisher=[[Southern Poverty Law Center]]|last1=Glasstetter|first1=Josh|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=March 28, 2024}}</ref> Rodger would post his YouTube videos to forums like Bodybuilding.com, where despite his attempts to showcase his loneliness, users left comments on his videos that ridiculed him, branding him as desperate and insecure.<ref name="new"/> On bodybuilding.com, a user compared Rodger's demeanor to that of a serial killer, attributing his romantic failures to sounding creepy.<ref name="new"/> Additionally, one of Rodger's YouTube videos garnered attention on [[Reddit]]'s "cringe" forum, where a user drew comparisons between Rodger and the fictional serial killer [[Patrick Bateman]] from ''[[American Psycho]]''.<ref name="newyorker"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/05/i-could-have-been-elliot-rodger-young-frustrated-and-full-of-rage-toward-women.html|title=I Could Have Been Elliot Rodger|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|last1=Levinson|first1=Brian|date=May 31, 2014|accessdate=March 16, 2024}}</ref> He posted on PUAHate days before his planned attacks:

{{blockquote|You’re all jealous of my 10/10 pretty-boy face This site is full of stupid, disgusting, mentally ill degenerates who take pleasure in putting down others. That is all I have to say on here. Goodbye.<ref name="santabarb"/>}}

==Further planning==
In the days leading up to his planned April attack, Rodger created a 137-page manifesto titled ''My Twisted World: The Story of Elliot Rodger''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/05/25/us/shooting-document.html|title=The Manifesto of Elliot Rodger|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jimdalrympleii/the-bizarre-and-horrifying-autobiography-of-a-mass-shooter|title=The Bizarre And Horrifying Autobiography Of A Mass Shooter|last=Dalrymple II|first=Jim|work=[[BuzzFeed|BuzzFeed News]]|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger described women as a "plague" and thought that them getting the right to choose their own partners could "hinder the advancement of humanity," asserting that "civilized men of intelligence" should choose who they could mate with. He stated they should not be given any rights, adding that their "wickedness" needed to be "contained" to avoid the risk of humanity from "falling into degeneracy." Rodger opined that women's refusal to accept him was a "declaration of war" and hoped for his attacks to reshape humanity. He believed that to "purify the world," it was necessary to get rid of love and sex from human existence altogether. He imagined himself as a leader with "fanatically loyal troops" who imprison women in concentration camps where most would die from starvation, and a few women would be left alive where they would be kept in "secret labs" and be "artificially inseminated" with sperm samples to become pregnant, ensuring men would be unaware of women's existence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/keeping-kids-safe/201405/elliot-rodger-psychotic-psychopath|title=Elliot Rodger: A Psychotic Psychopath?|work=[[Psychology Today]]|last=Langman|first=Peter|date=May 28, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-can-elliot-rodgers-rant-teach-the-rest-of-us-2014-5|title=What Can Elliot Rodger's Rant Teach The Rest Of Us?|work=[[Business Insider]]|last=Gell|first=Aaron|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=March 20, 2024}}</ref>

Rodger detailed his plan for his "Day of Retribution," and divided it into three parts. The first phase involved killing his two roommates first, where he would then lure people into his apartment, wanting to slowly torture them before killing them.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2014/05/26/elliot-rodger-wrote-manifesto-on-his-hate-for-women-and-his-vindictive-scheme-prior-to-deadly-rampage/|title=Elliot Rodger wrote a manifesto on his hate for women and his vindictive scheme prior to deadly rampage|work=[[Daily News (New York)|New York Daily News]]|last=Beekman|first=Daniel|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isla-vista-rampage/california-gunmans-apparent-manifesto-details-hatred-all-women-n113956|title=California Gunman's Apparent 'Manifesto' Details Hatred of All Women|publisher=[[NBC News]]|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> In the second phase of his plan, which he dubbed the "War on Women," Rodger aimed to target "the very girls who represent everything I hate in the female gender," specifically focusing on the [[Alpha Phi]] sorority house, intending to kill as many blond women as possible.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-isla-vista-shooting-witnesses-describe-gunman-20140524-story.html|title=Isla Vista shooting suspect targeted sorority, neighbors, strangers|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|last1=Covarrubias|first1=Amanda|last2=Mather|first2=Kate|last3=Stevens|last3=Matt|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=March 25, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/opinion-futrelle-incels-toronto-terrorism_n_5ae8d130e4b06748dc8d2b95|title=The Time For 'Incel' Explainers Was Years Ago|work=[[HuffPost]]|last1=Futrelle|first1=David|date=May 2, 2018|accessdate=March 25, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://junkee.com/elliot-rodger-and-the-dark-heart-of-mens-rights-activism/34885|title=Elliot Rodger, And The Dark Heart Of Men’s Rights Activism|publisher=[[Junkee]]|last1=Parkhill|first1=Chad|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=March 25, 2024}}</ref> In his final phase, Rodger planned to drive to his father's house and kill his step-mother and half-brother.<ref name="news124">{{cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/life/archive/Summary-of-Elliot-Rodgers-mannifesto-part-6-20140527-2|title=Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 6|work=[[News24 (website)|News24]]|last1=Shortridge|first1=Laura|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> He would then steal their Mercedes SUV and drive it to Isla Vista, shooting and hitting as many people as possible with his car.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/25/justice/california-shooting-revelations/index.html|title=Five revelations from the ‘twisted world' of a ‘kissless virgin'|work=[[CNN]]|last=Duke|first=Alan|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/inside-santa-barbara-killers-manifesto/story?id=23860511|title=Inside Santa Barbara Killer's Manifesto|publisher=[[ABC News]]|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-isla-vista-document-20140524-story.html|title=Isla Vista shooting: Read Elliot Rodger’s graphic, elaborate attack plan|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|last=Winton|first=Richard|last2=Xia|first2=Rosanna|last3=Lin II|first3=Rong-Gong|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=March 18, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/advice/a6942/Elliot-Rodger-Chilling-manifesto/|title=The 5 Most Terrifying Excerpts From the UCSB Shooter's Manifesto [Updated]|work=[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]|last=Shrayber|first=Mark|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=March 18, 2024}}</ref> In April, Rodger extended his preparations by visiting two additional gun ranges.<ref name="los" /><ref name="cnn" /> After Rodger posted multiple videos to his YouTube channel in the week leading up to his April 26 attack, he hoped that a woman might see his videos and ask him out on a date. As this did not happen, Rodger planned to finish writing his manifesto and upload one last video minutes before he started his attack.<ref name="news124" /> However, Rodger became sick with a cold on April 24, leading him to ponder whether it was a sign to abandon his intentions. Consequently, he postponed the date by a month, settling on May 24, to allow recovery from his cold and more time to live.<ref name="cnn" />
====Incidents with police====
On April 30, 2014, Rodger's mother became worried after she hadn't heard from her son in four days. She found the videos he had posted online and became shocked, reaching out to his therapist.<ref name="santabarb21">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.com/2014/05/29/isla-vista-killers-april-30-check-up/|title=Isla Vista Killer's April 30 Check-Up|work=[[Santa Barbara Independent]]|date=May 29, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/05/ucsb-shooters-parents-tried-to-stop-him.html|title=UCSB Shooter's Parents Tried to Stop Him|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|last=Caroline|first=Bankoff|date=May 26, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> The therapist then contacted a mental health professional, who requested a welfare check on Rodger. Responding to the request, four sheriff's deputies, a university police officer, and a dispatcher in training visited Rodger's apartment.<ref name="santabarb21"/><ref name="cbs12">{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-knew-about-santa-barbara-attackers-videos-but-didnt-watch-them/|title=Cops knew about Santa Barbara attacker's videos but didn't watch them|publisher=[[CBS News]]|date=May 30, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger explained that he had no thoughts of hurting anyone or himself and that his videos were his way of expressing his social difficulties in Isla Vista.<ref name="santabarb21"/> A deputy called Rodger's mother to update her and handed the phone to Rodger, who reassured her he was alright and would call her later. The deputies also provided Rodger with information on local support services and determined he did not meet the criteria for involuntary hold.<ref name="santabarb21"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isla-vista-rampage/deputies-who-made-welfare-check-ucsb-killer-elliot-rodger-cleared-n119331|title=Deputies Who Made Welfare Check on UCSB Killer Elliot Rodger Cleared|publisher=[[NBC News]]|date=May 31, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Because the officers did not watch the videos or check if Rodger owned any weapons, they determined that Rodger did not pose an immediate risk to himself or others.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/26/us/gunman-was-able-to-fly-under-the-radar-says-santa-barbara-sheriff.html|title= Gunman Covered Up Risks He Posed, Sheriff Says|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=G. Fitzsimmons|first1=Emma|last2=Knowlton|first2=Brian|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> After the authorities left, Rodger felt relieved they did not search his apartment, fearing they would have located his firearms and manifesto, causing him to go to prison. He maintained possession of a gun and several loaded magazines close at hand. He intended to use them against the police if they returned and then planned to flee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/25/justice/california-shooting-deaths/index.html|title=California mass killer thought plan was over during April visit by deputies|work=[[CNN]]|last1=Yan|first1=Holly|last2=Almasy|first2=Steve|last3=Sidner|first3=Sara|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=March 2, 2024}}</ref> Rodger removed most of his videos from YouTube, believing the way he acted on them raised suspicion that could ruin his plans.<ref name="cbs12"/> In the description of one of his videos, Rodger mentioned that he had temporarily removed most of his videos due to the concern they had caused among some of his family members.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2014/05/24/ucsb_shooting_update_suspect_allegedly_son_of_hunger_games_director/|title=UCSB shooting update: Suspect son of "Hunger Games" assistant director|work=[[Salon.com]]|last=Gray|first=Sarah|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=March 2, 2024}}</ref> Rodger planned to re-post them in the days leading up to his attack in May.<ref name="cbs12"/>

On May 6, 2014, Rodger got involved in an altercation with a couple at Goleta Beach. When the boyfriend was attempting to reverse out of a parking spot, Rodger drove his BMW to block him. The girlfriend, observing from her vehicle, saw her boyfriend and Rodger fight from their respective cars. Rodger told the boyfriend, "You're lucky to be an Asian guy dating a white girl. It's too bad she is such a horsefaced slut." After making the remark, he sped off. The boyfriend told the incident to his girlfriend, which frustrated her. She decided to pursue Rodger in her car. Upon catching up to him and attempting to confront him, Rodger said nothing, leaving the woman feeling uneasy, causing her to leave. As she was driving away, she noticed Rodger speeding through the parking lot, almost hitting several cars in the process. The woman called 911, telling law enforcement about the situation and to search the area for a black BMW.<ref name="nexus"/><ref name="los9091">{{cite web|url=https://documents.latimes.com/isla-vista-investigative-summary/|title=Isla Vista investigative summary|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 19, 2015|accessdate=April 4, 2024}}</ref>

==Attacks==
As the pressure mounted in anticipation of his looming attack, Rodger turned to Xanax to alleviate his escalating anxiety.<ref name="santabarb"/> Throughout May 2014, Rodger embarked on drives across Santa Barbara, enjoying his final weeks alive.<ref name="cnn"/> Days before his attack, he posted on bodybuilding.com before discovering and posting on anxietyzone.com.<ref name="santabarb"/><ref name="los"/> On May 22, he reposted the "Why do girls hate me so much?" video on YouTube. Despite initially selecting May 24 as the date for his attack, Rodger unexpectedly initiated his attacks a day earlier, on May 23.<ref name="cnn"/> Rodger had told his mother that his final day of school would be on May 23 and that he would be taking a test at Santa Barbara City College. He said he would call her after he finished the test.<ref name="los9091"/> On the day of his rampage, Rodger never called her, and despite his mother's attempts to reach him through calls and texts, he did not respond.<ref name="los9091"/> Before starting his attacks, Rodger took Alprazolam and [[Benzodiazepine]].<ref name="nexus"/> He looked up pornography online and searched the terms "quiet silent kill with a knife" and "how to kill someone with a knife," before practicing stabbing on his bed sheets and pillows.<ref name="santabarb"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/report-man-who-killed-6-uc-santa-barbara-students-searched-online-for-ways-to-silently-kill|title= Report: Man who killed 6 UC Santa Barbara students searched online for ways to silently kill|publisher=[[Fox News]]|date=February 19, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Carrying a six-inch "SRK" knife along with a nine-inch boar hunting knife, Rodger first ambushed Wang upon his return to the apartment. Wang tried to defend himself but was stabbed 15 times and suffered 23 slashes. Rodger then moved Wang's body to the corner of a bedroom and threw it on the floor facedown, partially covering it with blankets, towels, and clothing. Hong, who was wearing his backpack, soon entered the apartment and was immediately attacked by Rodger. Despite his attempts to defend himself, Hong was overwhelmed, receiving 25 stab wounds and 12 slashes. Rodger dragged Hong's body to the same bedroom, throwing it face down halfway on top of Wang's body. He also concealed Hong’s body with blankets and clothing.<ref name="santabarb"/><ref name="los"/><ref name="nexus"/> The final victim, 19-year-old George Chen, was Hong and Wang's friend who arrived at the apartment last to visit them. Upon entering, Rodger ambushed Chen, unleashing a total of 94 stab wounds and 11 slashes as Chen attempted to defend himself. Rodger left Chen's body in a bathroom in a pool of blood. Rodger attempted to clean the apartment's hallways and hide evidence of the earlier stabbings as each victim entered. He tried using bathroom towels and paper towels to clean up the blood, but they quickly became soaked. Despite his efforts, blood remained splattered on the hallways and its walls.<ref name="santabarb"/><ref name="los"/><ref name="nexus"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2015/02/20/uc-santa-barbara-shooter-planned-killings-for-months/|title=UC Santa Barbara shooter planned killings for months|work=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]|date=February 20, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref>

After failing to clean the blood, Rodger changed out his of blood-drenched clothes and entangled them with his bed sheets. Rodger the went to Starbucks and purchased a triple-vanilla latte. Less than two hours after his Starbucks visit, and minutes before his attack, Rodger uploaded a video on YouTube called "Elliot Rodger's Retribution". In the video, Rodger is seen sitting in his BMW during a sunset, reciting scripted lines and letting out fake laughs.<ref name="newpost2">{{cite web|date=May 25, 2014|title=Cops never saw shooter's disturbing videos before spree|url=https://nypost.com/2014/05/25/cops-never-saw-shooters-disturbing-videos-before-spree/|work=[[New York Post]]|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=May 27, 2014|title=Transcript of video linked to Santa Barbara mass shooting|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/24/us/elliot-rodger-video-transcript/index.html|work=[[CNN]]|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger explained in the video that he was frustrated that he was still a virgin at 22, that he would "punish" women for rejecting him despite being a "Supreme Gentleman," and expressed his hatred for sexually active men.<ref name="los3656">{{cite web|last1=Mozingo|first1=Joe|last2=Covarrubias|first2=Amanda|last3=Winton|first3=Richard|date=May 25, 2014|title=Isla Vista shooting suspect's videos reflect cold rage|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-isla-vista-suspect-20140525-story.html#page=1|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Theriault|first=Anne|date=May 25, 2014|title=The Men's Rights Movement Taught Elliot Rodger Everything He Needed to Know|url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/elliot-rodger-shooting_b_5386818|work=[[Huffpost]]|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last= Glasstetter|first=Josh|title=Elliot Rodger, Isla Vista Shooting Suspect, Posted Misogynistic Video Before Attack|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2014/05/24/elliot-rodger-isla-vista-shooting-suspect-posted-misogynistic-video-attack|publisher=[[Southern Poverty Law Center]]|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger also emailed his 137-page manifesto to 34 people, including his parents, friends, and therapists.<ref name="ap">{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/general-news-d46b47b1cd534a21ba6b162584a62505|title=Man in Santa Barbara rampage sought ways to silently kill|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|last=Abdollah|first=Tami|date=February 19, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Upon receiving the email, Linderman told Rodger's mother to examine what her son had sent. Rodger's mother quickly accessed the email, uncovering his manifesto. Disturbed by its contents and after finding Rodger's "Retribution" video online, she immediately called Rodger's father who was at dinner with friends and notified him about what she found. Rodger's mother set off by herself, while his father and Akaaboune traveled in another car, both parties rushing towards Isla Vista while calling the authorities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/parents-santa-barbara-killer-rushed-intervene-late/story?id=23865823|title=Parents of Santa Barbara Killer Rushed to Intervene, But Too Late|publisher=[[ABC News]]|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Meanwhile, Rodger proceeded to the Alpha Phi sorority house, attempting to get in by knocking on the door for three minutes.<ref name="santabarb"/> When no one answered, Rodger got frustrated and returned to his car. He then noticed three women, 19-year-old Veronika Weiss, 22-year-old Katherine "Katie" Cooper, and a 20-year-old woman, members of the [[Delta Delta Delta]] sorority, walking around the corner of the Alpha Phi sorority house. As the women were walking back to their Delta Delta Delta sorority house, Rodger slowly approached them in his car and, from an open window, fired multiple shots at them.<ref name="santabarb"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2014/05/30/and-then-i-realized-im-bleeding-survivor-of-the-killer-virgin/|title=‘And then I realized I'm bleeding': Survivor of the killer virgin|work=[[New York Post]]|last1=Rosenbaum|first1=Sophia|last2=Fears|first2=Danika|date=May 30, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/santa-barbara-killer-elliot-rodger-smiled-shooting-survivor/story?id=23923970|title=Exclusive: Santa Barbara Killer Smiled Before Shooting, Survivor Says|publisher=[[ABC News]]|date=May 30, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref><ref name="guard">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/20/mass-shooter-elliot-rodger-isla-vista-killings-report|title=Chilling report details how Elliot Rodger executed murderous rampage|work=[[The Guardian]]|last=Woolfe|first=Nicky|date=February 20, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> He sped away and people noticed the women bleeding on the grass. One person started giving Cooper CPR, while another tried to comfort Weiss by holding her head and speaking to her, but when the police arrived, the two women were already dead. The 20-year-old woman, in a call with her mother, was crying repeatedly that she was going to die. A deputy arrived to provide aid to her, applying pressure to her wounds. A bystander then came and continued to administer first aid while the deputy joined the pursuit of Rodger. A person told the women's mother over the phone that her daughter was going to survive.<ref name="santabarb"/><ref name="guard"/>

After driving away from the sorority house, Rodger executed a three-point turn in a driveway along Pardall Road. Driving past a closed coffee shop on Pardall, he discharged a shot toward it.<ref name="guard"/> Continuing his rampage, he proceeded to the IV Deli Mart, where he unleashed a barrage of gunfire at individuals nearby.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/isla-vista-uc-santa-barbara-mass-shooting-rampage-gunman-witnesses/70321/|title=Witness: Gunman Fired Into Deli Crowd in Drive-By Rampage|publisher=[[NBC News|NBC Los Angeles]]|last=Lloyd|first=Jonathan|last2=Yamamoto|first2=Jane|date=May 24, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> 20-year-old Christopher Michaels-Martinez was at the deli's entrance and turned around to look at Rodger's car when he was shot in the chest, resulting in injuries to his liver and the right ventricle of his heart.<ref name="guardj">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/23/one-year-isla-vista-massacre-victim-father-gun-control|title=One year after the Isla Vista massacre, a father's gun control mission is personal|work=[[The Guardian]]|last=Solnit|first=Rebecca|date=May 23, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Michaels-Martinez managed to stumble inside the deli but fell to the ground. Rodger continued to fire additional shots into the deli, shattering windows and sending people scrambling for cover.<ref name="santabarb"/><ref name="guard"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2014/05/25/see-it-victims-flee-from-santa-barbara-killer-elliot-rodger-inside-deli/|title=See It: Victims flee from Santa Barbara killer Elliot Rodger inside deli|work=[[Daily News (New York)|New York Daily News]]|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Rodger then drove away and despite CPR attempts by a 19-year-old woman and sheriff's deputy, Michaels-Martinez died.<ref name="guardj"/> Rodger continued driving, striking a man with his vehicle, knocking him into the air.<ref name="guard"/> Driving on the wrong side of the street, he collided with another pedestrian and fired shots at two individuals on the sidewalk, narrowly missing them. He then targeted a couple exiting a pizzeria and a female cyclist. Going randomly down several streets, Rodger engaged in an exchange of gunfire with a sheriff's deputy, also injuring two pedestrians in the process. Continuing, he shot and wounded three more individuals on Sabado Tarde Street, striking a skateboarder and two cyclists with his vehicle before shooting two men at another intersection.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Isla-Vista-killer-researched-Hitler-practiced-6092117.php|title=Isla Vista killer practiced stabbing pillows, researched Nazis|publisher=[[SFGATE]]|last=Moffitt|first=Mike|date=February 20, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Near the intersection of El Embarcadero and Sabado Tarde, Rodger engaged in a shootout with four sheriff's deputies, sustaining a gunshot wound to the hip.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/24/justice/california-shooting-deaths/index.html|title=Deadly California rampage: Chilling video, but no match for reality|work=[[CNN]]|last=Ellis|first=Ralph|last2=Sidner|first2=Sara|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Desperate to evade capture, Rodger drove away, striking another cyclist whose impact shattered the car's windshield. Rodger's attempt to flee made him crash into a parked vehicle.<ref name="ap2">{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/general-news-37d8186fc733425b91c48be883909172|title=Denied again by people he hated, gunman improvised|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|last=Mendoza|first=Martha|last2=Pritchard|first2=Justin|date=May 25, 2014|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> As law enforcement officers surrounded the car, they mistakenly handcuffed the injured cyclist, initially suspecting him to be a potential second assailant. Realizing their error, they provided him with medical attention, acknowledging him as a victim rather than an accomplice.<ref name="santabarb2">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.com/2015/06/30/ucsb-student-files-lawsuit-over-may-23-attack/|title=UCSB Student Files Lawsuit Over May 23 Attack|work=[[Santa Barbara Independent]]|last1=Brugger|first1=Kelsey|date=June 30, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref> Upon searching Rodger's vehicle, police discovered his lifeless body, having succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.<ref name="ap2"/>

==Items found in car==
[[File:Memorial wall honoring 3 UCSB College of Engineering Students.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Memorial wall honoring the first three victims killed in the 2014 Isla Vista killings. From left to right: George Chen, Weihan "David" Wang, and Cheng Yuan "James" Hong.]]
Inside Rodger's car, authorities found a cache of weaponry, including a Glock 34 handgun, two SIG Sauer P226 handguns, over 500 additional rounds of live ammunition, and the two knives he used to kill his two roommates and their friend. The entire shooting spree unfolded within eight minutes, during which Rodger discharged approximately 55 9mm rounds.<ref name="guard"/> During the shootings, Rodger used only one of the three pistols he had, the SIG Sauer P226, which was discovered on the driver's seat of his car.<ref name="nooz"/>
====Victims killed====
Rodger's rampage resulted in the deaths of six people, all University of California, Santa Barbara students, with 14 others sustaining injuries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/crime/5-years-later-remembering-the-6-student-victims-of-the-isla-vista-killings/|title=Remembering the 6 Student Victims of the 2014 Isla Vista Killings|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|last1=Sokmensuer|first1=Harriet|date=June 13, 2023|accessdate=February 22, 2024}}</ref>
*20-year-old Weihan "David" Wang <small>(stabbed to death)</small>
*20-year-old Cheng Yuan "James" Hong <small>(stabbed to death)</small>
*19-year-old George Chen <small>(stabbed to death)</small>
*22-year-old Katherine "Katie" Breanne Cooper <small>(shot to death)</small>
*19-year-old Veronika Elizabeth Weiss <small>(shot to death)</small>
*20-year-old Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez <small>(shot to death)</small>

{{clear}}
==Apartment search and aftermath==
[[File:Elliot Rodger hand drawing.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Rodger made a hand drawing of a person getting stabbed.]]
[[File:May 23, 2014 - Handwritten Journal Elliot Rodger.png|right|thumb|200px|A final handwritten journal entry Rodger made before his attacks.]]
Following the attacks, law enforcement obtained a search warrant to conduct a protective sweep of Rodger's apartment. After removing a window screen, authorities looked inside and found Chen's body lying in a fetal position on the bathroom floor.<ref name="nooz"/><ref name="los9091"/> They breached the apartment and also found the bodies of Hong and Wang in the bedroom. When they searched Rodger's room, they found it to be in disarray, finding pharmacy documents for prescriptions, two gun cleaning kits, [[Monster Energy]] drinks, lottery tickets, a copy of ''[[The Art of Seduction]]'' by [[Robert Greene]], various video games, and a Starbucks coffee cup. Additionally, police found a folding knife, a "zombie killer" knife with a 10-inch blade, an 18-inch blade machete, a sledgehammer, and multiple other knives. They also found a hand-drawn picture of something getting stabbed and a printed copy of Rodger's 137-page manifesto. His laptop was found open to YouTube, displaying his recently uploaded "Retribution" video.<ref name="santabarb"/><ref name="nexus"/> A handwritten journal was left open to an entry dated May 23, 2014, reading:

{{blockquote|I had to tear some pages out because I feared my intentions would be discovered. I taped them back together as fast as I could. This is it. In one hour I will have my revenge on this cruel world. I HATE YOU ALLLL! DIE.<ref name="guard"/>}}

Because of the attacks, some men on social media and in the comment sections of Rodger's YouTube videos expressed empathy with his viewpoints and struggles.<ref name="dot"/> Rodger's actions has lead to an online following, with some internet users on platforms like [[4chan]] and Reddit idolizing him, referring to him as a "saint" and commemorating "Saint Elliot Day" on the anniversary of his attacks.<ref name="cut">{{cite web|url=https://www.thecut.com/2018/04/incel-meaning-rebellion-alex-minassian-elliot-rodger-reddit.html|title=When a Mass Murderer Has a Cult Following|work=[[The Cut (New York magazine)|The Cut]]|last1=Futrelle|first1=David|date=April 27, 2018|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref> Rodger brought the incel community into the mainstream, with it having been praised by young men around the world who identify as incels.<ref name="vice12">{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvnw3d/incels-elliot-rodger-misogyny-far-right|title=Killer Incels: How Misogynistic Men Sparked a New Terror Threat|work=[[Vice News]]|date=May 31, 2022|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref>

Tribute songs have been posted, and merchandise such as t-shirts showing a photo of Rodger photo have been created and sold, with some individuals making videos to review the clothes.<ref name="cut"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43892189|title=Elliot Rodger: How misogynist killer became 'incel hero'|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=April 27, 2018|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref> Within incel forums, men talk of violence against women and sexually successful men, who they derogatorily call "Chads" and "Stacys."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2019/07/12/documentary-explores-the-twisted-world-of-women-hating-incels/|title=Documentary explores the twisted world of women-hating ‘incels'|work=[[New York Post]]|last1=Hodge|first1=Mark|date=July 12, 2019|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref> Incels refer to Rodger as "E.R." and any acts of violence done by them is known as "going E.R.".<ref name="los1201">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-elliot-rodger-incel-20180426-story.html|title=How Elliot Rodger went from misfit mass murderer to ‘saint' for group of misogynists — and suspected Toronto killer|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=April 26, 2018|last1=Branson-Potts|first1=Hailey|last2=Winton|first2=Richard|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref><ref name="spl">{{cite web|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/04/24/i-laugh-death-normies-how-incels-are-celebrating-toronto-mass-killing|title=I laugh at the death of normies": how incels are celebrating the toronto mass killing|publisher=[[Southern Poverty Law Center]]|last=Janik|first=Rachel|date=April 24, 2018|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref> Additionally, Rodger's name has been invoked by individuals linked to or responsible for other mass killings.<ref name="spl"/><ref name="jeze">{{cite web|url=https://www.jezebel.com/saint-elliot-rodger-and-the-incels-who-canonize-him-1825567815|title=Saint Elliot Rodger and the 'Incels' Who Canonize Him|work=[[Jezebel (website)|Jezebel]]|last1=Edwards|first1=Stassa|date=April 27, 2018|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref> On April 23, 2018, 25-year-old Alek Minassian carried out an attack in [[Toronto, Canada]]], by driving a van through the city, resulting in the deaths of [[2018 Toronto van attack|11 people and 15 others being injured]].<ref name="jeze"/> Before his attack, Minassian posted on his Facebook:

{{blockquote|Private (Recruit) Minassian Infantry 00010, wishing to speak to Sgt 4chan please. C23249161. The Incel Rebellion has already begun! We will overthrow all the Chads and Stacys! All hail the Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger!<ref name="cut"/><ref name="los1201"/>}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodger, Elliot}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodger, Elliot}}

Revision as of 01:22, 17 April 2024

Elliot Rodger
Driver's license photo of Rodger
Born
Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger

(1991-07-24)July 24, 1991
DiedMay 23, 2014(2014-05-23) (aged 22)
Cause of deathSuicide by gunshot
Nationality
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Other names
  • Virgin Killer
  • The Supreme Gentleman
  • Saint Elliot (by incels)
OccupationStudent
MovementIncels
Parent
Relatives

Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger (July 24, 1991 – May 23, 2014) was an English-American former college student and mass murderer responsible for the 2014 Isla Vista killings. On May 23, 2014, Rodger killed six people and injured 14 others by using knives, semi-automatic pistols, and his car in Isla Vista, California, near the University of California, Santa Barbara. Rodger first killed his two roommates and their friend in the apartment they shared, ambushing and stabbing them one at a time as they arrived. Hours later, Rodger uploaded a video on YouTube titled "Elliot Rodger's Retribution," in which he detailed his intentions to target Isla Vista, explaining his motivations were to "punish" women for their lack of interest in him and men who were sexually active, driven by his hatred towards them.

Additionally, he made a 137-page manifesto titled My Twisted World: The Story of Elliot Rodger, with it explaining his life story and frustrations with having stayed a virgin his whole life. Rodger emailed his manifesto to family members, acquaintances, and his therapists. He then drove to a sorority house and attempted to get in. Unable to enter, Rodger shot three women walking outside the sorority house, killing two. He then drove to a nearby delicatessen and shot and killed a man inside. After that, Rodger drove around Isla Vista, shooting at people and hitting others with his BMW. He shot back at sheriff's deputies twice and got shot in the hip. He later crashed his car into a parked vehicle. As police went around the vehicle, they found Rodger dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.

Early life

Elliot Rodger was born on July 24, 1991, in London, England to parents Peter Rodger and Li Chin.[1] His mother is Malaysian and worked as a nurse during the production of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. His father is British and was involved in the film industry, directing commercials and serving as a second unit director on the 2012 film The Hunger Games.[2][3] Rodger hailed from the notable Rodger family, which had a history of wealth before suffering financial loss during the Great Depression. Rodger's grandfather, George Rodger, was a well-known photojournalist known for his World War II photography. The Rodgers would later move to Sussex, where Peter started working as a professional photographer. Li Chin left her nursing job to watch her son, later welcoming a daughter into the family. Rodger's grandmother later moved in, with Rodger developing a close bond with her.[4] Rodger had a privileged childhood, experiencing affluence from a young age. He traveled to four different countries before he turned four years old.[5] Rodger started attending Dorset House, a private all-boys school.[6] Rodger disliked the school due to its strict environment, often leaving him in tears.[4]

When Rodger was five, his family moved to the United States, settling in Woodland Hills, California, an upscale suburb of Los Angeles.[4][7] He became friends with a girl and considered her the only female friend he ever had.[8] He went to Pinecrest Schools, later attending Topanga Elementary School where he made a few friends, including a boy who would become his best friend for 14 years.[9][10] When Rodger was seven, his parents divorced, causing him to be devastated.[11] Rodger and his younger sister lived with their mother during the weekdays and spent weekends with their father.[1] A year after the divorce, Rodger's father married Soumaya Akaaboune, a Moroccan-born French actress known for her role in Les Vraies Housewives, the French version of The Real Housewives series, and for having a small role in Matt Damon's movie Green Zone.[2][12] Rodger began showing signs of social and communication difficulties early in life. Throughout his time in elementary school, Rodger would be quiet and withdrawn, often whispering answers if addressed, and preferred to write information down on paper rather than talk. He would use recess to hide behind buildings, avoiding peer interaction. Social gatherings like birthday parties made him anxious, and on one occasion at Disneyland, he was overwhelmed to tears by the crowds of people.[13][14] Rodger and his sister never became close; he viewed her as a rival. He would throw tantrums over issues involving her, such as having to share a PlayStation 2 or feeling upset when her friends came to his birthday party.[8][15] Rodger often felt jealous when his friends would talk to each other instead of focusing on him. He also felt angry when his friends talked to his sister, leaving him feeling abandoned.[8]

In 1999, Rodger's mother filed an affidavit for more child support. She labeled her son as a "high-functioning autistic child" and claimed that she needed more child support to look after their son because of his special needs. Rodger's father presented a doctor who stated the autism diagnosis was fake because the initial diagnosis might have missed conditions like depression or anxiety. Scappa recommended that Rodger should undergo additional evaluation by a child psychiatrist to secure a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.[16] Around this time, Rodger began having a difficult relationship with Akaaboune.[17][18] As he grew, Rodger became more aware and uncomfortable with his height and slender frame, realizing he was the smallest person in his fourth-grade class.[9] He compared himself to classmates who were taller, which led him to play basketball with the hope it might help him grow. When Rodger saw others outplaying him on the court, he felt defeated and eventually quit.[8] Rodger also became embarrassed about being of mixed race—half-white and half-Asian—which he felt set him apart from his peers who were entirely white.[1] In an effort to blend in, at nine years old, Rodger dyed his hair blond and picked up skateboarding, hoping these changes would help him become friends with other children.[18][19] Despite his extreme shyness and struggle to engage in conversations, Rodger started to speak with the "cool kids" and even attempted to talk to girls.[15] He would later begin to experience feelings of resentment, convinced that his life was unfair compared to his peers.[2] Rodger felt that establishing friendships became increasingly difficult, particularly with women, leading to a sense of isolation and frustration.[1][19][18]

Middle years

Rodger's mother had met George Lucas and dated him for a bit, leading to Rodger and his mother getting invitations to Star Wars red carpet premieres.[19][16][11] Rodger immersed himself in video games, and was gifted an Xbox to play popular games such as Halo for hours.[19] During this period, Akaaboune became pregnant and subsequently gave birth to a son.[20] Rodger's enjoyment of movies began to wane due to his discomfort with couples present at the movies.[19] Throughout his middle school years, his social interactions significantly decreased, leading him to find solace in the online game World of Warcraft. This game became a major part of his life, consuming up to 14 hours daily at his mother's house and serving as his primary form of social engagement.[19][18] When Rodger was 11, he found someone in an online chat room who shared explicit images of naked blond women with him. The exposure to pornography was new for Rodger, finding himself overwhelmed with shock and emotions upon viewing the pictures.[11] Upon reaching puberty, Rodger experienced an intense sexual attraction toward women, often masturbating to images of women online. He developed a high sex drive and began to believe he would never have sex with women.[21] After his mother moved into an apartment in Calabasas, California, Rodger saw it as beneath his standards and chose not to bring friends over, concerned they would judge him due to the living conditions.[15] By the time Rodger was in middle school, feeling like an outcast, he began to intentionally annoy classmates to gain some attention. Rodger became known as the "quiet" and "weird kid," leading to teasing and bullying from other classmates.[15] Rodger was also bullied by a blond girl, leading him to start to hate women, whom he viewed as "heartless creatures."[22][23] While at an Internet cafe, Rodger was startled and curious when he saw an older teenager watching pornography, feeling a mixture of shock and arousal. Subsequently, Rodger walked home alone, crying and feeling too guilty to talk with his parents about it. As time passed, Rodger's inability to engage in sex worsened his misery.[11]

After finishing middle school, Rodger was eager to distance himself from girls and enrolled in Crespi Carmelite High School, an all-boys Roman Catholic school. He initially looked forward to the new start, but his anticipation quickly turned to anxiety on his first day. Upon arriving and observing the older, taller students, Rodger experienced overwhelming fear, leading him to break down in tears and confess to his father that he was too scared to exit the car.[16] During his first week at Crespi Carmelite High School, Rodger faced bullying from seniors, including incidents where they threw food at him during lunch.[19][24] In one incident, Rodger, having fallen asleep in class, had his head taped to his desk by classmates.[19][25] The bullying escalated with students calling him homophobic slurs and taunting him over his fear of interacting with girls. Overwhelmed by the bullying, Rodger felt powerless to respond, often crying alone during school hours.[9][24] As the bullying continued, Rodger began to wait for the halls to be empty before going to his next class. He started to avoid doing his homework and would continue to play World of Warcraft for hours.[16] On the last day of Rodger's freshman year, a classmate bragged about having sexual relations with his girlfriend. Rodger didn't believe him, causing his classmate to play a voice recording of him and his girlfriend being intimate. Rodger was soon overcome with rage and jealousy. He was shortly called into the office and was picked up by his mother. During the car ride, Rodger sobbed heavily and shared the ordeal with her, marking his final day at the school.[25][21] His parents then enrolled him in Taft Charter High School, a public school with a student population of approximately 2,700.[16] The transition to Taft Charter High School intensified Rodger's fears due to its large student population.[9] Rodger would be shoved against lockers and suffered verbal abuse from male students in the presence of female students.[16] One afternoon, while leaving the school premises, Rodger stopped dead in his tracks and started having an anxiety attack. School staff had to call his mother to come and escort her son to her car.[1][16] After only a week of attending Taft High School, Rodger parents withdrew him from the school.[16] Rodger spent several weeks at home not attending school. His parents then chose to enroll him in Independence High School, a school of roughly 100 students that offered three to four hours of daily teaching aimed at assisting students facing challenges, believing it to be a safer environment where their son wouldn't face bullying.[16][9]

In 2007, Rodger was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), a condition on the autism spectrum that leads to challenges in social development.[26] At the age of 15, he was prescribed Xanax and Prozac, eventually taking Paxil, but stopped taking them after a year later.[13] At the age of 17, the mere suggestion of visiting Morocco triggered a temper tantrum from Rodger. Despite his initial resistance, he ended up going with his step-mother and half brother but remained discontent, emailing his mother non-stop until she finally gave in and allowed him to return to her home.[27] The commercial directing industry began to decline, worsened due to the September 11 attacks. Rodger's father's career was severely impacted.[16] Rodger's father later created a documentary titled Oh My God, which took him to over 23 countries in two and a half years to interview celebrities like Hugh Jackman and Ringo Starr on their perceptions of God.[12] The documentary's release in November 2009 was a financial failure, selling only a few tickets and costing Rodger's father around $200,000, money he had secured from his home's equity.[16] This drove Rodger's father into debt and forced him to stop child support payments. He explained to a judge that his business had not made money for more than a year, leaving him without any income and in search of work. He sought to reduce his child support payments for his two children from $2,000 monthly. Rodger's mother acknowledged that her ex-husband financed his documentary by leveraging his home but agreed to pause child support payments for a year. Rodger's mother explained that she only made $40,000 a year working as a research assistant for a film company, and stated that she found herself relying on family and friends for money.[28]

After spending so much time on video games, Akaaboune became concerned about Rodger's unwillingness to socialize, and often requested that others spend time with him, but this would anger Rodger, causing him to argue with his step-mother.[16][29] In a later event Rodger rescued his younger brother from drowning in their family pool.[19] His relationships with his step-mother and father grew increasingly strained over time, ultimately leading to him being kicked out from their house. Rodger soon harbored a fixation on becoming rich, believing it to be the key to gaining attention from women. He urged his mother to marry a wealthy man, wanting her to disregard her happiness for his ambitions into wealth. His mother expressed unwillingness to remarry. She suggested to her son to direct his energies toward writing and directing, recognizing his potential talent in that area, and mentioned he could make money out of it.[28] Considering this, Rodger thought that becoming a successful screenwriter would be a quick path to wealth. Upon realizing the time and effort required for the success, he quickly gave up.[27] Rodger disliked high school a lot and was determined to graduate early. He stopped playing World of Warcraft, soon maintaining nearly perfect attendance and achieving straight A's in the majority of his classes. Although fellow students made efforts to connect with him, inviting him to join them, Rodger consistently disregarded their attempts.[1][16][9] Rodger graduated from Independence High School in 2010.[1][30][31]

Later life

By 18, Rodger stopped going to the mental health care his family provided and refused to take psychiatric medication he had been prescribed.[2][32] He blamed his parents responsible for his lack of wealth, blaming his mother for not marrying a wealthier man for his benefit and criticized his father for using his money towards Oh My God.[28] Rodger went on to enroll in Los Angeles Pierce College but didn't stay long, choosing to leave the institution after seeing too many happy couples that caused him rage.[16][19][21] Despite his mother's encouragement to seek employment, Rodger frequently passed his time reading at Barnes & Noble or wandering around his mother's house, harboring the hope that he ran into a blond woman that found him attractive. He would later sit by himself in cafes, hoping for any woman to approach him..[27] Worried about his direction in life, his parents tried to help him find a job, and despite their attempts, Rodger was resistant to the idea of employment, asserting that the jobs offered to him were "beneath him."[19] When Rodger's half-brother began to show signs of becoming more social, Rodger felt jealous, but still liked him.[27]

Not wanting to work, Rodger visited Moorpark College with his mother. He became attracted by its smaller size and appealing aesthetics, deciding to enroll. He began becoming hopeful that the change would mark a new beginning, particularly with the prospect of meeting blond women and fantasized about showing a potential girlfriend around his new college campus. However, Rodger quickly found himself feeling lonely and sad at Moorpark. He developed feelings of envy towards a couple in one of his classes. By the time he turned 19, Rodger decided to take one class, a political science course, partly relieved that the couple from his previous class was not present, although he still encountered them on campus. His discomfort was further fueled by his social anxiety, particularly when he was called upon by a professor. After completing a year at Moorpark College, he dropped out in 2010.[33][34] Rodger took comfort in knowing that his friend of 14 years was also a virgin. But considering that he and his friend were both virgins, he couldn't understand why his friend wasn't as angry with women as he was. Seeing his friend as weak, Rodger eventually revealed his thoughts of taking over the world and killing people. Their friendship grew strained over time, and his friend began to distance himself from Rodger more. Rodger also increasingly shared with his few friends his disturbing fantasies about dominating the world and committing acts of torture and murder. Over time, these conversations began to take a toll on his friendships, leading his friends to distance themselves and avoid him.[35]

Santa Barbara

Rodger moved to Isla Vista, California (pictured in April 2014) in hopes of getting a girlfriend and losing his virginity.

In an attempt to help Rodger socialize more and reduce his isolation, his parents decided to send him to college in Santa Barbara.[2] They agreed to pay for his apartment and college classes, optimistic that being their son being part of a college community would encourage him to make friends.[19] Rodger agreed after watching the 2006 American crime drama film Alpha Dog. Thinking about the film, Rodger believed moving to Santa Barbara would give him the chance to go to parties and finally lose his virginity.[36] In June 2011, Rodger moved out of his mother's house to the Capri Apartments in Isla Vista, California, near the University of California, Santa Barbara and would attend Santa Barbara City College.[1] Shortly after settling in, Rodger experienced intense jealousy towards one of his roommates black friends who shared that he had lost his virginity at the age of 13. This deeply upset Rodger, driving him to retreat to his room in tears and reach out to his mother, expressing his frustration and jealousy over the attention black men received from blond women instead of him.[35] Rodger found it hard to get along with several different roommates and chose to spend much of his time alone, seeking solitude at a golf course or the beaches around Isla Vista.[37] Rodger was later given two new Hispanic roommates, and would call them racial slurs. After the two moved out, Rodger was soon paired with another roommate in September 2011. Their relationship deteriorated over time, leading the roommate to send a letter to Capri's management asking to be assigned a new apartment. The roommate mentioned that Rodger was mean several times and had "huge psychological issues." He stated that Rodger was a "ticking time bomb waiting to explode" and said they feared for their life.[38][39]

Rodger developed a deep resentment towards the people in Isla Vista, seeing himself as a sophisticated person deserving of relationships with attractive blond women. He believed that women were wrong for rejecting him, and blamed men who were more successful than him.[40] Rodger started to have thoughts of killing couples, envisioning himself stabbing them to death while they were engaged in sexual activity.[35] In July 2011, during a visit to Starbucks, Rodger noticed a couple engaging in a kiss. He followed them outside and, in a moment of anger, threw his coffee at them. The man yelled at Rodger, prompting him to flee the scene in fear.[1][41] On another incident, just days away from turning 20, Rodger saw another couple kissing at a food court. Driven by jealousy, he tracked them down in his car and splashed them with iced tea.[41] Rodger soon developed an obsession with designer clothing, purchasing numerous items in an attempt to elevate his status.[14][19] Rodger would roam around Isla Vista every day, often sitting at one an outdoor table outside Domino's Pizza, hoping that a woman would find him attractive and initiate a conversation with him. Rodger's feelings of jealousy were further inflamed when one of his roommates invited his girlfriend over, leading Rodger to internally question why a woman would choose to date someone he perceived as unattractive.[35] In an attempt to find social connection, Rodger made a friend who introduced him to other acquaintances in hopes of integrating him into their circle.[42][43] In January 2012, while driving past a bus stop, Rodger saw two blond women and attempted to engage with them by smiling. When they did not return the smile, he turned his car around and splashed his latte on them.[44]

By February 2012, Rodger's frustration with his social interactions, particularly with blond women, led him to withdraw from all his college classes from Santa Barbara City College. Rodger began to contemplate what he referred to as the "Day of Retribution," a planned attack on the people in Isla Vista after feeling lonely and not wanting to remain a virgin any longer.[41] If the plans in mind, Rodger later attended a private Katy Perry concert in March 2012 and went to the red carpet premiere of The Hunger Games with his father the next day, where he met Jack Ross, the 16-year-old son of the film's director, Gary Ross.[19][45] Rodger began to believe the only way he would get a girlfriend was to get rich. He bought lottery tickets for the Mega Millions jackpot in June 2012, but his hopes were dashed when he lost. Fueled by anger, Rodger began to amass the funds he believed were necessary for his planned act of vengeance, saving up to $5,000 to buy the supplies he thought he needed.[41] In July 2012, while walking alone in a park, he saw college students playing kickball.[16] Overwhelmed by envy when seeing blond women interacting with men in the group, Rodger went to a Kmart, purchased a Super Soaker, and filled it with orange juice.[1] He returned to the park and sprayed the students while yelling at them.[19][16] In August 2012, Rodger found The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, a book that promoted the "law of attraction." Motivated by its principles, Rodger dedicated the entire month to meditating in his room, vividly imagining himself walking through a park alongside a beautiful woman. By September 2012, Rodger experienced despair after failing to win the $120 million Mega Millions jackpot, which led him to cry for hours and resulted in him breaking his laptop. The next day, he traveled to Oxnard, California, to purchase a replacement laptop. While waiting for the new laptop, he visited a shooting range to to learn how to shoot a gun, believing that his "Day of Retribution" was now very possible. As he fired rounds at the range, Rodger found himself reflecting on the sequence of events that had brought him to that point.[41][46]

Initially, Rodger was uncertain whether to target Santa Barbara City College or Isla Vista for his attacks. Eventually, he decided to go with Isla Vista as the location for his rampage.[13] He began to meticulously plan his attack around Halloween of 2013 but eventually scrapped the idea, fearing the heightened police presence typical of the holiday might thwart his plans.[47] In November 2012, still hopeful of becoming rich, Rodger drove from Santa Barbara to Arizona to buy tickets for the Powerball jackpot, which had been raised to $500 million.[41] Despite driving over to Arizona four times, his efforts were met with consistent failure, each loss pushing him deeper into fury. Thinking he would remain a virgin forever, he actively began to prepare for his planned "Day of Retribution".[28] By December 2012, Rodger bought a Glock 34 semiautomatic pistol for $755.57 at a firearms dealer in Goleta, California.[41][48][49] As the spring of 2013 approached, Rodger's thoughts turned darker as he began to seriously contemplate orchestrating his "Day of Retribution" soon, purchasing a SIG Sauer P226 handgun in March 2013 for $1,179.48 in Burbank, California.[41][49] Rodger began to plan his attack for sometime in November 2013.[19] Rodger and two other people were placed as roommates in their apartment complex not long after having taken a questionnaire about their personalities. Rodger would go with them to the gym and dinner, but after a few occasions, he started to distance himself. He became withdrawn and was frequently heard having intense phone calls from his room. The roommates suspected that Rodger possessed a firearm because they had heard a clicking sound numerous times. They decided to move out in June 2013 as they became more uncomfortable living with him.[50][51]

Incident at house party

On July 20, 2013, Rodger, intent on losing his virginity days before his 22nd birthday, consumed vodka to induce intoxication. He attended a party with the hope of engaging with women. Frustrated by his inability to talk with them, Rodger grew enraged and climbed a 10-foot ledge, pretending to shoot people with his finger.[2][52] Subsequently, he attempted to shove multiple women off the ledge but was thwarted by a group of men who pushed him off instead, resulting in a fractured ankle. Following the fall, Rodger tried to leave the party but realized he had lost his sunglasses. Still highly inebriated, he attempted to return to the party but inadvertently walked into another house and got into another fight. The students called him names and beat him up. Rodger, battered and bloodied, had to stumble back to his apartment. The following day, two sheriff's deputies visited Rodger in the hospital. Rodger claimed being pushed off the ledge after insulting someone's appearance, asserting that he then went to a different house's front yard and sat on a law chair, when out of nowhere, approximately ten men showed up and beat him up. When asked why he didn't call the cops, Rodger claimed he didn't know who to reach out to.[52]

A deputy remarked on Rodger's dishonesty, deeming him too "timid" and "shy" to tell the true events. A witness said a man who looked like Rodger began the fight by trying to push two women off a ledge. They didn't fall, but Rodger tried to push two more women before he jumped off the ledge and ran. The witness stated that Rodger was alone and acted strange He noted that Rodger wasn't talking to anyone at the party.[53] After arriving at his apartment, a neighbor observed Rodger returning home in tears, swearing to kill those who attacked him and contemplated suicide. Rodger disclosed in his manifesto that this event was the decisive moment that propelled him to finalize his plans for the attack. The sheriff's office concluded Rodger had started the fight, and the investigation was closed without further action. They did not arrest Rodger or interrogate him further.[41][52]

Mental health and further planning

In August 2013, fueled by resentment over his broken ankle and repeated rejections from women who he thought chose the wrong man, Rodger concluded that his only resolve was to enact his planned attack. However, hindered by his fractured ankle, he postponed his planned attacks until spring of 2014.[41] Rodger experienced envy when he discovered that his sister got a boyfriend, perceiving him as a successful man who attracted women sexually. Rodger soon overheard his sister and her boyfriend engaging in sexual activity at his mother's house, making him feel depressed that his younger sister had lost her virginity before he had.[54] Rodger's parents sought more professional help for him, leading to therapy sessions with Charles Sophy, a controversial psychiatrist who began treating Rodger in late 2012.[55] He prescribed him Risperidone, an antipsychotic drug, which Rodger decided not to take after researching it online.[19][56][57][58] Subsequently, Rodger stopped going to his appointments with Sophy by the fall of 2013.[59][60] Rodger sought assistance from family friend Dale Launer, a filmmaker known for his work on relationship-themed movies, in improving his interactions with women. Launer agreed to help and offered advice on talking with women. However, Rodger found the guidance ineffective, believing it did not aid him in attracting women or in losing his virginity.[55][61] Rodger was helped by three different counselors and attended 29 sessions between May 2013 and May 2014.[13]

Rodger experienced jealousy and increased distress when he noticed women showing interest to one of his male counselors. Although he developed a connection with a female counselor, her relocation left him reluctant to seek a replacement, feeling that hiring a woman for companionship resembled engaging in prostitution.[44] His parents also enlisted the help of a life coach named Gavin Linderman.[62] Linderman provided Rodger with instructions to improve his social life, requiring Rodger to travel to Los Angeles for the sessions. During their meetings, Rodger opened up to the life coach about his struggles with his virginity.[62] Linderman suggested that moving out from Isla Vista would be beneficial, but Rodger promptly dismissed that idea.[19] Rodger's envy toward his six-year-old stepbrother intensified, particularly as his brother secured opportunities to appear in television commercials.[63] Consumed by jealousy, Rodger began plotting the murder of his stepbrother, fearing his sibling would surpass him in popularity with girls.[64] Additionally, he devised a plan to kill his step-mother by stabbing her in the neck due to disliking her.[63] Rodger planned to commit the murders while his father was away on a business trip, as Rodger harbored concerns that he might hesitate if confronted with the task of killing his own father.[65][66] Amidst his intentions, Rodger's mother bought him a used $40,000 2008 BMW 328i Coupé, giving a glimmer of hope within him that he might attract a girlfriend during the rest of 2013.[1][41]

Behavior with others

In September 2013, Rodger was assigned a random apartment where he gained two new roommates, 20-year-old Weihan "David" Wang and 20-year-old Cheng Yuan "James" Hong.[41][67] As Wang's mother helped her son move his stuff into the apartment, she urged the three to take care of each other, which Rodger quickly brushed off.[68] Rodger would spend most of his time out of the apartment or alone in his room,[68] making Wang feel bothered by Rodger's antisocial behavior. He filed complaints with the building manager, claiming Rodger played loud music during the night.[69][70][71] On January 15, 2014, Rodger and Hong got into a fight when Rodger accused Hong of stealing three of his candles valued at $22.[53] The conflict began when Rodger, irritated by Hong's cooking, took his measuring cup, prompting Hong to retaliate by taking Rodger's candles in an attempt to initiate a trade.[1] Rodger placed Hong under a citizen's arrest.[1][53] Upon police intervention, Hong claimed he believed Rodger had stolen his possessions, including a rice bowl, though Rodger denied the allegations. Law enforcement discovered the candles on Hong's bed. After Hong refused to return the candles, he was arrested and charged with petty theft. He was found guilty, fined, and later released.[1][53]

Hong had become angry by Rodger's actions but refrained from confronting him, concerned that it might worsen their living conditions. Hong and Wang distanced themselves from Rodger and signed a lease for a different apartment.[68] Rodger began to plan to murder Wang and Hong, due to disliking them and feeling they would get in the way of his attack.[41] By January 2014, Rodger contemplated launching his planned attack during Valentine's Day or Deltopia, a spring break event drawing crowds to Isla Vista in early April. However, he dismissed these dates due to heightened police presence and his realization that he required additional time for preparation. Eventually, he settled on April 26, 2014, as the revised date for his attack.[41] He bought another SIG Sauer P226 handgun for $1,132 in Oxnard in February 2014 in case the other two firearms jammed.[49][72] Throughout February and March, Rodger visited gun ranges, making multiple ammunition purchases.[14] He funded his weapon purchases with money he had saved from gifts from his grandparents and the $500 monthly allowance his father sent him.[28]

Online activity

Rodger mainly expressed his emotions through platforms like YouTube, where he shared his frustrations about his romantic failures and his views on life.[16][73][74] In April 2014, he uploaded multiple videos on YouTube, expressing his deep loneliness and frustration due to his unsuccessful attempts at attracting a girlfriend. He couldn't comprehend why women would prefer "inferior" men over him, questioning why his perceived good looks, high end clothes, and expensive car failed to garner any attention or acknowledgment from women, with video titles such as: "Why do girls hate me so much?", "Life is so unfair because girls don't want me", and "My reaction to seeing a young couple at the beach, Envy".[1][74][73][75] He would secretly follow couples and record them while complaining how lonely he felt by seeing them.[44] In additional videos, he recorded himself taking scenic drives surrounded by palm trees and dancing to music from artists like Whitney Houston, George Michael, and Phil Collins.[16][76][77] Rodger was subscribed to multiple YouTube channels associated with the Men's rights movement, which posted content aimed at advising men on attracting and talking with women.[78][79][80] Rodger also had a second YouTube channel named "Valtharion".[81] He would leave negative comment across several videos, including calling women derogatory terms, saying racist statements, and accusing other men of lying about their relationships with women. Rodger also boasted about his affluent family background and expressed a sense of superiority due to being half-white.[82] On his personal blog "Elliot Rodger's Official Blog," he portrayed himself as a "sophisticated, polite gentleman," expressing his difficulties in socializing and connecting with others in Isla Vista.[11] Rodger shared selfies on his Facebook profile, showcasing himself enjoying luxurious plane rides and attending movie premieres.[83] Rodger also frequently shared photos on his Google+ and YouTube, often showcasing himself alongside his BMW.[84] Rodger's online activities included numerous searches related to Nazis, such as researching Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler, and looking up topics like "Did Adolf Hitler have a girlfriend," "Adolf Hitler and the law of attraction," "Nazi curbstomp," “Holocaust of black people," and "Nazi anime."[13][26]

Rodger also searched for information on "modern torture devices" and "Spanish Inquisition torture devices."[85] Rodger frequently engaged with online communities such as ForeverAlone and PUAHate, where men who struggled with romantic relationships shared their grievances, critiqued each other and expressed disdain towards women and pick-up artists.[86] Within these forums, Rodger and other men identified themselves as "incels," a term for involuntary celibate, where they discussed their struggles to find a romantic or sexual partner.[87] Because users on PUAHate shared similar negative perceptions of women, it further convinced Rodger that the difficulties some men experienced in finding partners were because women are "wicked and degenerate."[44][88][89] When a user suggested that lucid dreaming having sex could serve as a substitute for their lack of intimacy in real life, Rodger argued that incels needed to initiate a "revolution." He believed it was essential to "destroy" the issues they faced by recognizing their "true strength and numbers." Furthermore, Rodger advocated for the overthrow of what he termed the "oppressive feminist system," envisioning a world where women would live in fear of incels.[79][90] Rodger also expressed racist views in his posts towards interracial couples, including mocking an Asian man trying to date a white women and stating it was "rage-inducing" after he saw a black man hanging out with white women.[14] After a user accused him of being racist, Rodger expressed that he was shocked that white women would choose "undeserving" men over him.[91] Rodger would post his YouTube videos to forums like Bodybuilding.com, where despite his attempts to showcase his loneliness, users left comments on his videos that ridiculed him, branding him as desperate and insecure.[16] On bodybuilding.com, a user compared Rodger's demeanor to that of a serial killer, attributing his romantic failures to sounding creepy.[16] Additionally, one of Rodger's YouTube videos garnered attention on Reddit's "cringe" forum, where a user drew comparisons between Rodger and the fictional serial killer Patrick Bateman from American Psycho.[76][92] He posted on PUAHate days before his planned attacks:

You’re all jealous of my 10/10 pretty-boy face This site is full of stupid, disgusting, mentally ill degenerates who take pleasure in putting down others. That is all I have to say on here. Goodbye.[13]

Further planning

In the days leading up to his planned April attack, Rodger created a 137-page manifesto titled My Twisted World: The Story of Elliot Rodger.[93][94] Rodger described women as a "plague" and thought that them getting the right to choose their own partners could "hinder the advancement of humanity," asserting that "civilized men of intelligence" should choose who they could mate with. He stated they should not be given any rights, adding that their "wickedness" needed to be "contained" to avoid the risk of humanity from "falling into degeneracy." Rodger opined that women's refusal to accept him was a "declaration of war" and hoped for his attacks to reshape humanity. He believed that to "purify the world," it was necessary to get rid of love and sex from human existence altogether. He imagined himself as a leader with "fanatically loyal troops" who imprison women in concentration camps where most would die from starvation, and a few women would be left alive where they would be kept in "secret labs" and be "artificially inseminated" with sperm samples to become pregnant, ensuring men would be unaware of women's existence.[95][96]

Rodger detailed his plan for his "Day of Retribution," and divided it into three parts. The first phase involved killing his two roommates first, where he would then lure people into his apartment, wanting to slowly torture them before killing them.[97][98] In the second phase of his plan, which he dubbed the "War on Women," Rodger aimed to target "the very girls who represent everything I hate in the female gender," specifically focusing on the Alpha Phi sorority house, intending to kill as many blond women as possible.[99][100][101] In his final phase, Rodger planned to drive to his father's house and kill his step-mother and half-brother.[102] He would then steal their Mercedes SUV and drive it to Isla Vista, shooting and hitting as many people as possible with his car.[103][104][105][106] In April, Rodger extended his preparations by visiting two additional gun ranges.[14][41] After Rodger posted multiple videos to his YouTube channel in the week leading up to his April 26 attack, he hoped that a woman might see his videos and ask him out on a date. As this did not happen, Rodger planned to finish writing his manifesto and upload one last video minutes before he started his attack.[102] However, Rodger became sick with a cold on April 24, leading him to ponder whether it was a sign to abandon his intentions. Consequently, he postponed the date by a month, settling on May 24, to allow recovery from his cold and more time to live.[41]

Incidents with police

On April 30, 2014, Rodger's mother became worried after she hadn't heard from her son in four days. She found the videos he had posted online and became shocked, reaching out to his therapist.[107][108] The therapist then contacted a mental health professional, who requested a welfare check on Rodger. Responding to the request, four sheriff's deputies, a university police officer, and a dispatcher in training visited Rodger's apartment.[107][109] Rodger explained that he had no thoughts of hurting anyone or himself and that his videos were his way of expressing his social difficulties in Isla Vista.[107] A deputy called Rodger's mother to update her and handed the phone to Rodger, who reassured her he was alright and would call her later. The deputies also provided Rodger with information on local support services and determined he did not meet the criteria for involuntary hold.[107][110] Because the officers did not watch the videos or check if Rodger owned any weapons, they determined that Rodger did not pose an immediate risk to himself or others.[111] After the authorities left, Rodger felt relieved they did not search his apartment, fearing they would have located his firearms and manifesto, causing him to go to prison. He maintained possession of a gun and several loaded magazines close at hand. He intended to use them against the police if they returned and then planned to flee.[112] Rodger removed most of his videos from YouTube, believing the way he acted on them raised suspicion that could ruin his plans.[109] In the description of one of his videos, Rodger mentioned that he had temporarily removed most of his videos due to the concern they had caused among some of his family members.[113] Rodger planned to re-post them in the days leading up to his attack in May.[109]

On May 6, 2014, Rodger got involved in an altercation with a couple at Goleta Beach. When the boyfriend was attempting to reverse out of a parking spot, Rodger drove his BMW to block him. The girlfriend, observing from her vehicle, saw her boyfriend and Rodger fight from their respective cars. Rodger told the boyfriend, "You're lucky to be an Asian guy dating a white girl. It's too bad she is such a horsefaced slut." After making the remark, he sped off. The boyfriend told the incident to his girlfriend, which frustrated her. She decided to pursue Rodger in her car. Upon catching up to him and attempting to confront him, Rodger said nothing, leaving the woman feeling uneasy, causing her to leave. As she was driving away, she noticed Rodger speeding through the parking lot, almost hitting several cars in the process. The woman called 911, telling law enforcement about the situation and to search the area for a black BMW.[26][114]

Attacks

As the pressure mounted in anticipation of his looming attack, Rodger turned to Xanax to alleviate his escalating anxiety.[13] Throughout May 2014, Rodger embarked on drives across Santa Barbara, enjoying his final weeks alive.[41] Days before his attack, he posted on bodybuilding.com before discovering and posting on anxietyzone.com.[13][14] On May 22, he reposted the "Why do girls hate me so much?" video on YouTube. Despite initially selecting May 24 as the date for his attack, Rodger unexpectedly initiated his attacks a day earlier, on May 23.[41] Rodger had told his mother that his final day of school would be on May 23 and that he would be taking a test at Santa Barbara City College. He said he would call her after he finished the test.[114] On the day of his rampage, Rodger never called her, and despite his mother's attempts to reach him through calls and texts, he did not respond.[114] Before starting his attacks, Rodger took Alprazolam and Benzodiazepine.[26] He looked up pornography online and searched the terms "quiet silent kill with a knife" and "how to kill someone with a knife," before practicing stabbing on his bed sheets and pillows.[13][115] Carrying a six-inch "SRK" knife along with a nine-inch boar hunting knife, Rodger first ambushed Wang upon his return to the apartment. Wang tried to defend himself but was stabbed 15 times and suffered 23 slashes. Rodger then moved Wang's body to the corner of a bedroom and threw it on the floor facedown, partially covering it with blankets, towels, and clothing. Hong, who was wearing his backpack, soon entered the apartment and was immediately attacked by Rodger. Despite his attempts to defend himself, Hong was overwhelmed, receiving 25 stab wounds and 12 slashes. Rodger dragged Hong's body to the same bedroom, throwing it face down halfway on top of Wang's body. He also concealed Hong’s body with blankets and clothing.[13][14][26] The final victim, 19-year-old George Chen, was Hong and Wang's friend who arrived at the apartment last to visit them. Upon entering, Rodger ambushed Chen, unleashing a total of 94 stab wounds and 11 slashes as Chen attempted to defend himself. Rodger left Chen's body in a bathroom in a pool of blood. Rodger attempted to clean the apartment's hallways and hide evidence of the earlier stabbings as each victim entered. He tried using bathroom towels and paper towels to clean up the blood, but they quickly became soaked. Despite his efforts, blood remained splattered on the hallways and its walls.[13][14][26][116]

After failing to clean the blood, Rodger changed out his of blood-drenched clothes and entangled them with his bed sheets. Rodger the went to Starbucks and purchased a triple-vanilla latte. Less than two hours after his Starbucks visit, and minutes before his attack, Rodger uploaded a video on YouTube called "Elliot Rodger's Retribution". In the video, Rodger is seen sitting in his BMW during a sunset, reciting scripted lines and letting out fake laughs.[117][118] Rodger explained in the video that he was frustrated that he was still a virgin at 22, that he would "punish" women for rejecting him despite being a "Supreme Gentleman," and expressed his hatred for sexually active men.[119][120][121] Rodger also emailed his 137-page manifesto to 34 people, including his parents, friends, and therapists.[122] Upon receiving the email, Linderman told Rodger's mother to examine what her son had sent. Rodger's mother quickly accessed the email, uncovering his manifesto. Disturbed by its contents and after finding Rodger's "Retribution" video online, she immediately called Rodger's father who was at dinner with friends and notified him about what she found. Rodger's mother set off by herself, while his father and Akaaboune traveled in another car, both parties rushing towards Isla Vista while calling the authorities.[123] Meanwhile, Rodger proceeded to the Alpha Phi sorority house, attempting to get in by knocking on the door for three minutes.[13] When no one answered, Rodger got frustrated and returned to his car. He then noticed three women, 19-year-old Veronika Weiss, 22-year-old Katherine "Katie" Cooper, and a 20-year-old woman, members of the Delta Delta Delta sorority, walking around the corner of the Alpha Phi sorority house. As the women were walking back to their Delta Delta Delta sorority house, Rodger slowly approached them in his car and, from an open window, fired multiple shots at them.[13][124][125][126] He sped away and people noticed the women bleeding on the grass. One person started giving Cooper CPR, while another tried to comfort Weiss by holding her head and speaking to her, but when the police arrived, the two women were already dead. The 20-year-old woman, in a call with her mother, was crying repeatedly that she was going to die. A deputy arrived to provide aid to her, applying pressure to her wounds. A bystander then came and continued to administer first aid while the deputy joined the pursuit of Rodger. A person told the women's mother over the phone that her daughter was going to survive.[13][126]

After driving away from the sorority house, Rodger executed a three-point turn in a driveway along Pardall Road. Driving past a closed coffee shop on Pardall, he discharged a shot toward it.[126] Continuing his rampage, he proceeded to the IV Deli Mart, where he unleashed a barrage of gunfire at individuals nearby.[127] 20-year-old Christopher Michaels-Martinez was at the deli's entrance and turned around to look at Rodger's car when he was shot in the chest, resulting in injuries to his liver and the right ventricle of his heart.[128] Michaels-Martinez managed to stumble inside the deli but fell to the ground. Rodger continued to fire additional shots into the deli, shattering windows and sending people scrambling for cover.[13][126][129] Rodger then drove away and despite CPR attempts by a 19-year-old woman and sheriff's deputy, Michaels-Martinez died.[128] Rodger continued driving, striking a man with his vehicle, knocking him into the air.[126] Driving on the wrong side of the street, he collided with another pedestrian and fired shots at two individuals on the sidewalk, narrowly missing them. He then targeted a couple exiting a pizzeria and a female cyclist. Going randomly down several streets, Rodger engaged in an exchange of gunfire with a sheriff's deputy, also injuring two pedestrians in the process. Continuing, he shot and wounded three more individuals on Sabado Tarde Street, striking a skateboarder and two cyclists with his vehicle before shooting two men at another intersection.[130] Near the intersection of El Embarcadero and Sabado Tarde, Rodger engaged in a shootout with four sheriff's deputies, sustaining a gunshot wound to the hip.[131] Desperate to evade capture, Rodger drove away, striking another cyclist whose impact shattered the car's windshield. Rodger's attempt to flee made him crash into a parked vehicle.[132] As law enforcement officers surrounded the car, they mistakenly handcuffed the injured cyclist, initially suspecting him to be a potential second assailant. Realizing their error, they provided him with medical attention, acknowledging him as a victim rather than an accomplice.[133] Upon searching Rodger's vehicle, police discovered his lifeless body, having succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.[132]

Items found in car

Memorial wall honoring the first three victims killed in the 2014 Isla Vista killings. From left to right: George Chen, Weihan "David" Wang, and Cheng Yuan "James" Hong.

Inside Rodger's car, authorities found a cache of weaponry, including a Glock 34 handgun, two SIG Sauer P226 handguns, over 500 additional rounds of live ammunition, and the two knives he used to kill his two roommates and their friend. The entire shooting spree unfolded within eight minutes, during which Rodger discharged approximately 55 9mm rounds.[126] During the shootings, Rodger used only one of the three pistols he had, the SIG Sauer P226, which was discovered on the driver's seat of his car.[62]

Victims killed

Rodger's rampage resulted in the deaths of six people, all University of California, Santa Barbara students, with 14 others sustaining injuries.[134]

  • 20-year-old Weihan "David" Wang (stabbed to death)
  • 20-year-old Cheng Yuan "James" Hong (stabbed to death)
  • 19-year-old George Chen (stabbed to death)
  • 22-year-old Katherine "Katie" Breanne Cooper (shot to death)
  • 19-year-old Veronika Elizabeth Weiss (shot to death)
  • 20-year-old Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez (shot to death)

Apartment search and aftermath

Rodger made a hand drawing of a person getting stabbed.
A final handwritten journal entry Rodger made before his attacks.

Following the attacks, law enforcement obtained a search warrant to conduct a protective sweep of Rodger's apartment. After removing a window screen, authorities looked inside and found Chen's body lying in a fetal position on the bathroom floor.[62][114] They breached the apartment and also found the bodies of Hong and Wang in the bedroom. When they searched Rodger's room, they found it to be in disarray, finding pharmacy documents for prescriptions, two gun cleaning kits, Monster Energy drinks, lottery tickets, a copy of The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene, various video games, and a Starbucks coffee cup. Additionally, police found a folding knife, a "zombie killer" knife with a 10-inch blade, an 18-inch blade machete, a sledgehammer, and multiple other knives. They also found a hand-drawn picture of something getting stabbed and a printed copy of Rodger's 137-page manifesto. His laptop was found open to YouTube, displaying his recently uploaded "Retribution" video.[13][26] A handwritten journal was left open to an entry dated May 23, 2014, reading:

I had to tear some pages out because I feared my intentions would be discovered. I taped them back together as fast as I could. This is it. In one hour I will have my revenge on this cruel world. I HATE YOU ALLLL! DIE.[126]

Because of the attacks, some men on social media and in the comment sections of Rodger's YouTube videos expressed empathy with his viewpoints and struggles.[89] Rodger's actions has lead to an online following, with some internet users on platforms like 4chan and Reddit idolizing him, referring to him as a "saint" and commemorating "Saint Elliot Day" on the anniversary of his attacks.[135] Rodger brought the incel community into the mainstream, with it having been praised by young men around the world who identify as incels.[136]

Tribute songs have been posted, and merchandise such as t-shirts showing a photo of Rodger photo have been created and sold, with some individuals making videos to review the clothes.[135][137] Within incel forums, men talk of violence against women and sexually successful men, who they derogatorily call "Chads" and "Stacys."[138] Incels refer to Rodger as "E.R." and any acts of violence done by them is known as "going E.R.".[139][140] Additionally, Rodger's name has been invoked by individuals linked to or responsible for other mass killings.[140][141] On April 23, 2018, 25-year-old Alek Minassian carried out an attack in Toronto, Canada], by driving a van through the city, resulting in the deaths of 11 people and 15 others being injured.[141] Before his attack, Minassian posted on his Facebook:

Private (Recruit) Minassian Infantry 00010, wishing to speak to Sgt 4chan please. C23249161. The Incel Rebellion has already begun! We will overthrow all the Chads and Stacys! All hail the Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger![135][139]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Noe, Denise (December 14, 2015). "The Enraged Virgin Who Terrorized Isla Vista In Revenge For His Sexual And Social Rejection". Thought Catalog. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Springer, Andrew. "The Secret Life of Elliot Rodger". ABC News. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  3. ^ Massarella, Linda; K. Li, David; Golding, Bruce (May 26, 2014). "The woman the UCSB killer blamed for his misogyny". New York Post. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "California killer Elliot Rodger remembered happy English childhood". The Guardian. May 25, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  5. ^ Yang, Jeff (May 26, 2014). "What a close read of the Isla Vista shooter's horrific manifesto, "My Twisted World," says about his values—and ours". Quartz. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  6. ^ "Headmaster of West Sussex school attended by mass murderer Elliot Rodger expresses shock at killings". The Argus. July 1, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Carroll, Rory; Pengelly, Martin (May 25, 2014). "Sheriff highlights mental-health shortcomings after California killings". The Guardian. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d Shortridge, Laura (May 27, 2014). "Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 1". News24. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Gazzar, Brenda (May 25, 2014). "Santa Barbara shooting: Suspect was 'soft-spoken, polite, a gentleman', ex-principal says". Whittier Daily News. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  10. ^ Hayes, Rob (May 25, 2014). "Isla Vista shootings: Search warrants served at homes of Elliot Rodger's parents". ABC7. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e Yan, Holly; Brumfield, Ben; J. Carter, Chelsea (May 27, 2014). "Inside the gunman's head: Rejection, jealousy and vow to kill 'beautiful girls'". CNN. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Idato, Michael (May 25, 2014). "Alleged gunman Elliot Rodger, 22, lived a life of privilege". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Brugger, Kelsey (February 20, 2015). "Elliot Rodger Report Details Long Struggle with Mental Illness". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h Serna, Joseph; Mather, Kate; Covarrubias, Amanda (February 19, 2015). "Elliott Rodger, a quiet, troubled loner, plotted rampage for months". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d Shortridge, Laura (May 27, 2014). "Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 2". News24. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Nagourney, Adam; Cieply, Michael; Feuer, Alan; Lovett, Ian (June 1, 2014). "Before Brief, Deadly Spree, Trouble Since Age 8". The New York Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  17. ^ Stieber, Zachary (May 27, 2014). "Soumaya Akaaboune and Six-Year-Old Son Jazz Were Planned Targets of Elliot Rodger". The Epoch Times. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d Dutta, Kunal; Walker, Tim (May 27, 2014). "California shootings: Elliot Rodger's revealed as a cripplingly shy boy whose sense of alienation drove him over the edge". The Independent. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Waxman, Sharon (May 25, 2014). "Portrait of a Psychopath: UCSB Shooter Elliot Rodger a Child of Hollywood, Privilege, Isolation". TheWrap. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  20. ^ Bennett Rylah, Juliet (June 25, 2014). "Peter Rodger Tells Barbara Walters He Didn't See His Son's Massacre In Isla Vista Coming". LAist. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  21. ^ a b c Shortridge, Laura (May 27, 2014). "Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 3". News24. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  22. ^ Allen, Nick (May 27, 2014). "Schoolgirl blamed by Elliot Rodger for hatred of women doesn't remember him". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  23. ^ Saul, Heather (May 27, 2014). "Elliot Rodger manifesto: Monette Moio 'devastated' at being named as a 'bully' by Isla Vista killer". The Independent. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Arévalo, Penny (May 24, 2014). "Isla Vista Mass Murderer Says He Was Bullied at Valley Schools". Patch. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  25. ^ a b Lovett, Ian; Nagourney, Adam (May 24, 2014). "Video Rant, Then Deadly Rampage in California Town". The New York Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g Mineiro, Megan; Yelimeli, Supriya (February 20, 2015). "Sheriff Releases Report Detailing Events, Investigation of 2014 I.V. Mass Murder". Daily Nexus. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  27. ^ a b c d Shortridge, Laura (May 27, 2014). "Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 4". News24. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  28. ^ a b c d e Duke, Alan (May 27, 2014). "California killer's family struggled with money, court documents show". CNN. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  29. ^ Piper, Matthew (May 27, 2014). "Utes RB Lucky Radley recalls California killer's alarming silence as child". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  30. ^ Gazzar, Brenda (May 25, 2014). "Elliot Rodger's manifesto reveals a long struggle to fit in". The Mercury News. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  31. ^ Hansen, Laura (January 8, 2015). "Elliot Rodger could not be stopped because 'being sad is not a crime'". The Week. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  32. ^ Heger, Jen (May 25, 2014). "UCSB Shooter Elliot Rodger Refused His Psychiatric Medicines, His Parents Now In Hiding". Radar Online. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  33. ^ Aguilar, Mercedes (May 25, 2014). "Elliot Rodger sought fresh start at Moorpark College before moving to Santa Barbara". Ventura County Star. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  34. ^ Arévalo, Penny (May 24, 2014). "UCSB Shooter ID'd as Previous Moorpark College Student". Patch. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  35. ^ a b c d Shortridge, Laura (May 27, 2014). "Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 5". News24. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  36. ^ Massarella, Linda; Rosenbaum, Sophia; Greene, Leonard (May 25, 2014). "The vile manifesto of a killer". New York Post. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  37. ^ Nagourney, Adam; Goode, Erica (May 26, 2014). "Limits to Law and Information Sharing, Despite Gunman's Danger Signs". The New York Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  38. ^ Ochoa, Jose (May 25, 2017). "Suit Against I.V. Shooter's Housing Complex Progresses". Daily Nexus. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  39. ^ Brugger, Kelsey (June 4, 2015). "Rodger Lawsuit Winds Through Court". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  40. ^ Gold, Scott; Swellel; Romney, Lee (May 25, 2015). "In Isla Vista, red flags came too late". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Duke, Alan (May 27, 2014). "Timeline to 'Retribution': Isla Vista attacks planned over years". CNN. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  42. ^ "Friend Calls Santa Barbara Killer 'a Really Lonely Guy'". ABC7. May 25, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  43. ^ Murphy, Doyle (May 25, 2014). "Friend: Santa Barbara killer Elliot Rodger wanted to 'dominate the world'". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  44. ^ a b c d Hill, Kashmir (May 24, 2014). "The Disturbing Internet Footprint Of Santa Barbara Shooter Elliot Rodger". Forbes. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  45. ^ "UCSB Mass Murderer Led A Life Of Luxury Before Shooting Spree". Radar Online. May 24, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  46. ^ Diskin, Megan (June 22, 2014). "Isla Vista killer was from Calabasas, bought gun in Oxnard; slain Westlake grad mourned". Ventura County Star. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  47. ^ Nagourney, Adam (May 25, 2014). "Parents' Nightmare: Futile Race to Stop Killings". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  48. ^ Blakely, Rhys (May 26, 2014). "Angry loner posted plans online before killing spree". The Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  49. ^ a b c "Infographic: Elliot Rodger's laptop search history: Nazis, knives and torture devices". Los Angeles Times. February 19, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  50. ^ K. Raymond, Adam (May 30, 2014). "UCSB Shooter's Former Roommate: 'Why Did I Not Say Anything?'". New York. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  51. ^ "Elliot Rodger's former roommate tells what it was like to live with the mass murderer". Herald Sun. May 30, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  52. ^ a b c Blake, Mariah (June 14, 2014). "Read: The Police Report From the Incident That Spurred Elliot Rodger to Mount His Killing Spree". Mother Jones. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  53. ^ a b c d Mather, Kate; Winton, Richard (June 11, 2014). "Police took no action in reported attack by Elliot Rodger in 2013". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  54. ^ Stieber, Zachary (May 27, 2014). "Georgia Rodger, Elliot Rodger Sister, Pictured For First Time [Updated]". The Epoch Times. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  55. ^ a b Sherwell, Phillip (May 31, 2014). "Celebrity counsellors could not save Virgin Killer Elliot Rodger". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  56. ^ Heger, Jen (May 27, 2014). "Virgin Murderer Elliott Rodger Hadn't Seen Psychiatrist In 2 Years". Radar Online. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  57. ^ "Elliot Rodger's family tried to intervene at time of rampage". CBS News. May 26, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  58. ^ Firger, Jessica (May 26, 2014). "Mental illness in spotlight after UC Santa Barbara rampage". CBS News. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  59. ^ Mathis-Lilly, Ben (May 28, 2014). "Psychiatrist Who Treated Elliot Rodger Has Worked With Paris Hilton, Real Housewives". Slate. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  60. ^ Baum, Gary (May 27, 2014). "Santa Barbara Shooter's Therapist Has Ties With Hollywood". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  61. ^ "How I tried to help Elliot Rodger". BBC News. July 9, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  62. ^ a b c d Giana, Nicky (February 19, 2015). "Timeline of Isla Vista Massacre Reconstructs a Murderous Sequence". Noozhawk. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  63. ^ a b "Elliot Rodger spent five years planning 'Day of Retribution' that included plot to kill six-year-old brother". The National Post. May 28, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  64. ^ Allen, Nick (May 27, 2014). "'Virgin killer' Elliot Rodger planned to murder his family". The Telegraph. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  65. ^ "US 'Virgin Killer' Elliot Rodger plotted to slaughter his own family, including his six-year-old brother". Evening Standard. May 27, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  66. ^ Chasmar, Jessica (May 27, 2014). "Elliot Rodger planned to murder 6-year-old brother, stepmother". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  67. ^ "Parents of Elliot Rodger victims criticise authorities' handling of case". The Guardian. June 21, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  68. ^ a b c Mather, Kate (June 20, 2014). "UCSB friends were victims of circumstance". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  69. ^ Smith, Christie; Fernandez, Lisa (May 26, 2014). "Weihan "David" Wang Wanted to Move Out of Isla Vista Apartment With Elliot Rodger: Parents". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  70. ^ Harriet, Ryan; Flores, Adolfo; Mather, Kate (May 26, 2014). "Isla Vista rampage: One of Elliot Rodger's roommates planned to move". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  71. ^ Golgowski, Nina (May 26, 2014). "Slain roommate of Elliot Rodger wanted to move out before bloody attack, say anguished parents". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  72. ^ Flores, Byadolfo; Winton, Richard; Mather, Kate (May 30, 2014). "Deputies didn't know Elliot Rodger owned guns, officials say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  73. ^ a b "Cops never saw shooter's disturbing videos before spree". New York Post. May 25, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  74. ^ a b Pengelly, Martin (May 25, 2014). "California killings: UK-born Elliot Rodger blamed for deaths". The Guardian. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  75. ^ Nededog, Jethro (May 24, 2014). "Alleged UCSB Shooter Elliot Rodger Posted Several Disturbing Videos: Watch". TheWrap. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  76. ^ a b Caspian Kang, Jay (May 28, 2014). "The Online Life of Elliot Rodger". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  77. ^ Kettmann, Matt (May 24, 2014). "Insights into Isla Vista Shooter Elliot Rodger". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  78. ^ Theriault, Anne (May 25, 2014). "The Men's Rights Movement Taught Elliot Rodger Everything He Needed to Know". Huffpost. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  79. ^ a b "The killer's ties to 'men's rights' groups". New York Post. May 26, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  80. ^ "Elliot Rodger, California mass killing suspect, voiced hate for women in the past". CTV News. May 26, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  81. ^ "Family of Santa Barbara Shooter Elliot Rodger Calls Him A 'Monster'". Inside Edition. May 29, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  82. ^ Roy, Jessica (May 27, 2014). "Elliot Rodger Left Behind Tons of Sexist, Racist YouTube Comments From Second Account". Splinter News. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  83. ^ Peralta, Eyder (May 24, 2014). "Alleged Shooter In California Left Vast Digital Trail". NPR. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  84. ^ "Videos show suspected rampage shooter's anger". Observer–Reporter. May 24, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  85. ^ Dobuzinskis, Alex (February 19, 2015). "Online Forum For Sexually Frustrated Men Reacts To News That Mass Shooter May Be One Of Their Own". Reuters. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  86. ^ Woolf, Nicky (May 30, 2014). "'PUAhate' and 'ForeverAlone': inside Elliot Rodger's online life". The Guardian. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  87. ^ Gell, Aaron (May 24, 2014). "Online Forum For Sexually Frustrated Men Reacts To News That Mass Shooter May Be One Of Their Own". Business Insider. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  88. ^ S. Fell, James (May 29, 2014). "The Toxic Appeal of the Men's Rights Movement". Time. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  89. ^ a b Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia (May 25, 2014). "Why Elliot Rodger is being linked to the men's rights movement". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  90. ^ Glasstetter, Josh (May 24, 2014). "Shooting Suspect Elliot Rodger's Misogynistic Posts Point To Motive"". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  91. ^ Glasstetter, Josh (May 24, 2014). "Elliot Rodger, Isla Vista Shooting Suspect, Posted Racist Messages On Misogynistic Website". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  92. ^ Levinson, Brian (May 31, 2014). "I Could Have Been Elliot Rodger". Slate. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  93. ^ "The Manifesto of Elliot Rodger". The New York Times. May 25, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  94. ^ Dalrymple II, Jim (May 25, 2014). "The Bizarre And Horrifying Autobiography Of A Mass Shooter". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  95. ^ Langman, Peter (May 28, 2014). "Elliot Rodger: A Psychotic Psychopath?". Psychology Today. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  96. ^ Gell, Aaron (May 27, 2014). "What Can Elliot Rodger's Rant Teach The Rest Of Us?". Business Insider. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  97. ^ Beekman, Daniel (May 26, 2014). "Elliot Rodger wrote a manifesto on his hate for women and his vindictive scheme prior to deadly rampage". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  98. ^ "California Gunman's Apparent 'Manifesto' Details Hatred of All Women". NBC News. May 24, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  99. ^ Covarrubias, Amanda; Mather, Kate; Matt (May 24, 2014). "Isla Vista shooting suspect targeted sorority, neighbors, strangers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  100. ^ Futrelle, David (May 2, 2018). "The Time For 'Incel' Explainers Was Years Ago". HuffPost. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  101. ^ Parkhill, Chad (May 26, 2014). "Elliot Rodger, And The Dark Heart Of Men's Rights Activism". Junkee. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  102. ^ a b Shortridge, Laura (May 27, 2014). "Summary of Elliot Rodger's manifesto - Part 6". News24. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  103. ^ Duke, Alan (May 27, 2014). "Five revelations from the 'twisted world' of a 'kissless virgin'". CNN. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  104. ^ "Inside Santa Barbara Killer's Manifesto". ABC News. May 24, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  105. ^ Winton, Richard; Xia, Rosanna; Lin II, Rong-Gong (May 24, 2014). "Isla Vista shooting: Read Elliot Rodger's graphic, elaborate attack plan". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  106. ^ Shrayber, Mark (May 26, 2014). "The 5 Most Terrifying Excerpts From the UCSB Shooter's Manifesto [Updated]". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  107. ^ a b c d "Isla Vista Killer's April 30 Check-Up". Santa Barbara Independent. May 29, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  108. ^ Caroline, Bankoff (May 26, 2014). "UCSB Shooter's Parents Tried to Stop Him". New York. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  109. ^ a b c "Cops knew about Santa Barbara attacker's videos but didn't watch them". CBS News. May 30, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  110. ^ "Deputies Who Made Welfare Check on UCSB Killer Elliot Rodger Cleared". NBC News. May 31, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  111. ^ G. Fitzsimmons, Emma; Knowlton, Brian (May 25, 2014). "Gunman Covered Up Risks He Posed, Sheriff Says". The New York Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  112. ^ Yan, Holly; Almasy, Steve; Sidner, Sara (May 27, 2014). "California mass killer thought plan was over during April visit by deputies". CNN. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  113. ^ Gray, Sarah (May 24, 2014). "UCSB shooting update: Suspect son of "Hunger Games" assistant director". Salon.com. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  114. ^ a b c d "Isla Vista investigative summary". Los Angeles Times. February 19, 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  115. ^ "Report: Man who killed 6 UC Santa Barbara students searched online for ways to silently kill". Fox News. February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  116. ^ "UC Santa Barbara shooter planned killings for months". Los Angeles Daily News. February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  117. ^ "Cops never saw shooter's disturbing videos before spree". New York Post. May 25, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  118. ^ "Transcript of video linked to Santa Barbara mass shooting". CNN. May 27, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  119. ^ Mozingo, Joe; Covarrubias, Amanda; Winton, Richard (May 25, 2014). "Isla Vista shooting suspect's videos reflect cold rage". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  120. ^ Theriault, Anne (May 25, 2014). "The Men's Rights Movement Taught Elliot Rodger Everything He Needed to Know". Huffpost. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  121. ^ Glasstetter, Josh (May 24, 2014). "Elliot Rodger, Isla Vista Shooting Suspect, Posted Misogynistic Video Before Attack". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  122. ^ Abdollah, Tami (February 19, 2015). "Man in Santa Barbara rampage sought ways to silently kill". Associated Press. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  123. ^ "Parents of Santa Barbara Killer Rushed to Intervene, But Too Late". ABC News. May 25, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  124. ^ Rosenbaum, Sophia; Fears, Danika (May 30, 2014). "'And then I realized I'm bleeding': Survivor of the killer virgin". New York Post. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  125. ^ "Exclusive: Santa Barbara Killer Smiled Before Shooting, Survivor Says". ABC News. May 30, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  126. ^ a b c d e f g Woolfe, Nicky (February 20, 2015). "Chilling report details how Elliot Rodger executed murderous rampage". The Guardian. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  127. ^ Lloyd, Jonathan; Yamamoto, Jane (May 24, 2014). "Witness: Gunman Fired Into Deli Crowd in Drive-By Rampage". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  128. ^ a b Solnit, Rebecca (May 23, 2015). "One year after the Isla Vista massacre, a father's gun control mission is personal". The Guardian. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  129. ^ "See It: Victims flee from Santa Barbara killer Elliot Rodger inside deli". New York Daily News. May 25, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  130. ^ Moffitt, Mike (February 20, 2015). "Isla Vista killer practiced stabbing pillows, researched Nazis". SFGATE. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  131. ^ Ellis, Ralph; Sidner, Sara (May 27, 2014). "Deadly California rampage: Chilling video, but no match for reality". CNN. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  132. ^ a b Mendoza, Martha; Pritchard, Justin (May 25, 2014). "Denied again by people he hated, gunman improvised". Associated Press. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  133. ^ Brugger, Kelsey (June 30, 2015). "UCSB Student Files Lawsuit Over May 23 Attack". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  134. ^ Sokmensuer, Harriet (June 13, 2023). "Remembering the 6 Student Victims of the 2014 Isla Vista Killings". People. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  135. ^ a b c Futrelle, David (April 27, 2018). "When a Mass Murderer Has a Cult Following". The Cut. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  136. ^ "Killer Incels: How Misogynistic Men Sparked a New Terror Threat". Vice News. May 31, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  137. ^ "Elliot Rodger: How misogynist killer became 'incel hero'". BBC News. April 27, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  138. ^ Hodge, Mark (July 12, 2019). "Documentary explores the twisted world of women-hating 'incels'". New York Post. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  139. ^ a b Branson-Potts, Hailey; Winton, Richard (April 26, 2018). "How Elliot Rodger went from misfit mass murderer to 'saint' for group of misogynists — and suspected Toronto killer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  140. ^ a b Janik, Rachel (April 24, 2018). "I laugh at the death of normies": how incels are celebrating the toronto mass killing". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  141. ^ a b Edwards, Stassa (April 27, 2018). "Saint Elliot Rodger and the 'Incels' Who Canonize Him". Jezebel. Retrieved March 8, 2024.