A gunman killed six people and wounded at least seven more in a series of drive-by shootings late Friday near the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, authorities said. After exchanging fire with sheriff's deputies, the suspect crashed his black BMW and was found dead inside the car, apparently from a gunshot wound to the head.
"This incident appears to be a mass-murder situation," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said at a news conference. "It's obviously the work of a madman."
Reports quickly began circulating on social media that a threatening YouTube video posted Friday, apparently by a young man named Elliot Rodger, was connected to the shootings. Brown did not identify the suspect, but news outlets including ABC News and BBC News reported that a lawyer for Rodger's father, Peter Rodger, said that the family believed Elliot Rodger was the gunman.
The shootings broke out in the Isla Vista neighborhood near UC Santa Barbara around 9:30 p.m., local time, Friday night. Brown said there were nine separate crime scenes, and that the fatalities were "spread throughout the Isla Vista area." He said he didn't know whether the suspect was shot by deputies, or whether the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. Officials recovered a semiautomatic handgun from the suspect's vehicle.
Officials had made a preliminary identification of the shooter, who they believe acted alone, but would not release the suspect's name, Brown said.
When a reporter asked Brown about the YouTube video, titled "Elliot Rodger's Retribution," Brown called it "evidence that we believe is connected to this crime," although he did not say that Rodger was a suspect.
The video was removed from YouTube on Saturday, but it is still available elsewhere online:
In the recording, a young man identifies himself as Elliot Rodger, and says the video will be his last. "Tomorrow is the day of retribution," he says. "The day in which I will have my revenge against humanity."
After grousing that "girls have never been attracted to me," the man threatens to kill members of a sorority house and then "take to the streets of Isla Vista and slay every single person I see there."
Brown said that "written and videotaped evidence" obtained by the authorities "suggests that this atrocity was a premeditated mass murder."
"There's going to be a lot more information that will come out that will give a clearer picture of just how disturbed this individual was," he added.
The same "Elliot Rodger" YouTube account also included uploaded videos with titles such as "Life is so unfair because girls dont want me" and "Why do girls hate me so much?"
Elliot Rodger's parents reported their sons suicidal, desperate YouTube videos to authorities weeks ago, family lawyer says. @BBCWorld— regan morris (@reganmorris1) May 24, 2014
"He had trouble making friends" and was "victim of bullying" Calif shooting suspect Elliot Rodger's family lawyer says @BBCWorld @BBCNewsUS— regan morris (@reganmorris1) May 24, 2014
"This child was being treated by multiple professionals" for mental health, says SB shooting suspect's family attorney @BBCNewsUS @BBCWorld— regan morris (@reganmorris1) May 24, 2014
Peter Rodger, Elliot Rodger's father, was an assistant director for one of the Hunger Games movies. Peter Rodger's multiple representatives did not immediately respond to email and telephone messages left by Mashable.
Isla Vista is known as a party area for UC Santa Barbara students.
Joe Buttitta of KEYT-TV, a local ABC affiliate, posted these photos from Isla Vista:
One of many scenes in Isla Vista. Shattered glass from gun shots. Latest coming up on @KEYTNC3 at 11pm. pic.twitter.com/KIXZD3RMTa— Joe Buttitta (@KEYTNC3Joe) May 24, 2014
Bullet holes through the glass at IV Deli Mart. Owner say one victim is dead inside. pic.twitter.com/M0IgBVrRpx— Joe Buttitta (@KEYTNC3Joe) May 24, 2014
And @FranceKirsten, who identified herself as a UC Santa Barbara student, posted this photo of police activity after an apparent car crash outside her house in Isla Vista:
WTF ISLA VISTA, this year your crime rate has really been upsetting. Thank god I am moving away from DP in 3 weeks pic.twitter.com/c0jZvoKUGc— France (@FranceKirsten) May 24, 2014
CNN's Kyung Lah took this photo of what appears to be the same scene in the daylight:
Isla Vista shooting: suspect's BMW. Window shattered, tire blown. #cnn pic.twitter.com/a27rgEAtck— Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) May 24, 2014
The names of the victims have not been released. There were reports that one of the injured victims was a bicyclist who was run over by the suspect's vehicle.