A Look at Alleged UCSB Shooter Elliot Rodger's "Twisted World"
Santa Barbara City College student Elliot Rodger allegedly went on a shooting spree last night, killing seven people in Isla Vista. He left behind a series of chilling videos about his hatred for women and his resentment that they weren’t sexually interested in him. Rodger was found dead in his BMW after the shooting ended.
As of 7 pm ET on Saturday, authorities have allegedly recovered three bodies from Rodgers’ apartment, and a 140-page manifesto called “My Twisted World” was delivered to a local news station.
UPDATE: As of 10 pm ET on Saturday, authorities have confirmed Rodger stabbed three people in his Isla Vista apartment before he began his shooting spree. Police recovered three guns and more than 400 rounds of ammunition from Rodger’s car. They said all the guns and ammo were purchased legally and registered to Rodger.
UPDATE: Elliot Rodger’s entire manifesto is now available online.
Rodger left behind evidence of a life of privilege and wealth. His father, Peter Rodger, was the second unit director on the “Hunger Games” movie. On Facebook, Rodger chronicled his own attendance at the 2012 premiere. They lived in Calabasas, Calif., a wealthy area north of Los Angeles.
ABOVE: Rodger and his dad at the “Hunger Games” red carpet. SOURCE: Facebook
ABOVE Another photo from the premiere. SOURCE: Facebook
When he wasn’t making YouTube videos declaring his hatred for women, Rodger hiked around Southern California and took selfies in a number of luxury cars. (His final video was filmed in the same place where his body was later found.)
ABOVE: This December 2013 photo was tagged with “Damn I look good.” SOURCE: Facebook
He also enjoyed luxury vacations. In 2012, he took a first-class plane trip and a private limo ride to a private Katy Perry concert.
ABOVE: A photo captioned “Limo ride to the London airport” SOURCE: Facebook
ABOVE: “Meal on the plane to London” SOURCE: Facebook
ABOVE: A pass to a private Katy Perry concert. SOURCE: Facebook
ABOVE: A selfie of Elliot Rodger at the 2012 private Katy Perry concert. SOURCE: Facebook
Rodger had a younger brother and, seemingly, a good life at home. The family attorney has said Rodger was diagnosed with Asperger’s and was in treatment for it.
ABOVE: Elliot Rodger with his dad, Peter Rodger, and a younger brother whose face we’ve covered due to his age. SOURCE: Facebook
ABOVE: A Facebook photo Rodger posted with the caption “Christmas.” SOURCE: Facebook
Online, Rodger frequented body-building sites and pickup artist (PUA) forums. The website bodybuilding.com has already scrubbed all of Rodger’s posts, but the Internet is forever—Google cache reveals a post from a week ago where Rodger expresses incredulity at seeing “losers” like a “short, ugly Indian guy” in a Honda Civic (“an old model honda civic at that”) who has a girlfriend when he, with his BMW, does not.
ABOVE: A Google cache of a recent post Elliot Rodger made on bodybuilding.com.
Later in the thread, he says, “Well, I find it unjust that a white girl would choose him over me.”
This wasn’t his only racially charged comment found online. Rodger also made other racist comments on a misogynistic website.
Shooting rampages like this follow a pretty predictable pattern in the media: The outcries of “Well not all men are like this” and “just because he acted and spoke like a Men’s Rights Activist (MRA) doesn’t mean he was one” have already begun. Elliot Rodger left behind a dual life: One where he had every luxury and privilege, and bitterly resented that women were the only thing he felt entitled to that he couldn’t get his hands on. So, according to his manifesto, he wanted to kill them.
UPDATE
You can read the manifesto below: