Man Believed to Be California Gunman Wrote 140-Page Manifesto

What's This?

The windshield of a car was shattered by a bullet at the scene of one of the shootings in Isla Vista, Calif.

Image: Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

By Christina Warren2014-05-24 23:38:47 UTC

Elliot Rodger — the man believed by his family to be the gunman who killed six people Friday night near the University of California, Santa Barbara — left behind a 140-page manifesto, reports said Saturday.

Meanwhile, the apartment complex where Rodger lived has been established as a crime scene by the Santa Barbara County Coroner's office.

See also: Gunman Kills 6 in Drive-By Rampage Near California College Campus

According to KEYT NewsChannel 3, forensics experts were seen removing three bodies from an apartment complex on Seville Road in Isla Vista, the neighborhood near UCSB where the shootings took place. When reached for comment, Santa Barbara authorities would not tell Mashable if this changed the victim count. Seven people, including the gunman, have already been confirmed dead.

The visit by the coroner's office comes after a 140-page manifesto, apparently written by Rodger, made its way to the press.

Titled, "My Twisted World: The Story of Elliot Rodger," the document reportedly documents Rodger's life and the events leading up to Friday's mass-shooting spree.

A sentence on the cover page of the document reads:

"This is the story of how I, Elliot Rodger, came to be. This is the story of my entire life. It is a dark story of sadness, anger, and hatred."

Mashable has not reviewed the entire document, but it has been published online.

Family believes Rodger was the shooter

A lawyer for Rodger's father, Peter Rodger, said Saturday that the family believes Elliot Rodger, 22, was the gunman.

The lawyer, Alan Shifman, said that the younger Rodger "was being treated by multiple professionals" and had been diagnosed at an earlier age as "a highly functional Asperger's syndrome child." (In the wake of other shootings, experts have repeatedly noted that people with Asperger's are no more likely to commit crimes.)

Shifman said Rodger's parents had been aware of his YouTube videos "regarding suicide and the killing of people" and had warned the police about them. He said the police had interviewed Rodger but determined he was "perfectly polite."

Statement from UCSB

The Chancellor of the UC Santa Barbara released a letter to the community.

It reads in part:

On behalf of our university community, I want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the campus police officers and Santa Barbara County sheriff's deputies who acted quickly and courageously to protect our students and other Isla Vista residents and prevent an even greater tragedy from unfolding.

We are moved by the tremendous outpouring of sorrow and support from our community, including our faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, the UC Office of the President and Regents, elected officials, and countless friends and colleagues around the world. We will continue to draw strength and comfort from each other in the difficult days ahead.

The flag on our campus will be at half-staff this week to honor those whose lives were so suddenly and tragically cut short. We will be in touch as we continue to respond to these events. Our UCSB family is in mourning.

Santa Barbara press conference moved back an hour

The Santa Barbara County's Sheriff's Department will be holding a news conference at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET to provide updates on the case.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Topics: Elliot Rodger, Isla Vista shooting, UCSB, U.S., US & World