Hollywood director’s son kills six in rampage

Police identify man who kills six people in California stabbings and drive-by shootings before dying of gunshot wound.

A man who stabbed three people to death in his apartment before gunning down another three in a drive-by attack in California has been identified by police as the son of a Hollywood director.

Elliot Rodger, the son of Peter Rodger, an assistant director on The Hunger Games film, had earlier posted an internet video about his plan to kill women.

The 22-year-old man launched his attack on Saturday in Isla Vista, Santa Barbara, after revealing his plan in a Youtube video, saying he wanted revenge for being rejected.

He was later found dead after an exchange of fire with police.

Another seven people remained hospitalised with serious injuries.

The attack happened near the campus of the University of Santa Barbara. Witnesses reported seeing the attacker firing indiscriminately from a black BMW.

The video posted on Youtube shows the man, who says he is a 22-year-old virgin who has been rejected by women.

“I will have my revenge against humanity,” he says, adding he will retaliate with a mass slaughter of college students and Isla Vista residents. “I will punish all of you for it.”

Describing the attack as “mass murder”, Bill Brown, a county sheriff, said that police exchanged fire at least twice with the attacker before his car crashed.

The attacker was found dead in the car with a gunshot wound to the head, and authorities recovered a semi-automatic handgun, Brown said. 

A lawyer for Peter Rodger, Alan Shifman, had made a statement after the shootings, saying that his client believed the attacker was his son.

The Rodger family had contacted police after the video was posted a few weeks ago, Shifman said.

The lawyer said the family was alarmed by the video “regarding suicide and the killing of people” that Elliot had been posting.

Police interviewed Elliot and did not find a history of guns, but the officers left after determining he didn’t need to be locked up for mental health reasons, Shifman said.

He was being treated by several mental health professionals, according to media reports.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies