Elliot Rodger
Elliot Rodger
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Elliot Rodger

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Elliot Rodger

Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger (July 24, 1991 – May 23, 2014) was a British-American mass murderer who perpetrated the Isla Vista attacks, where he murdered six people and injured fourteen others, before he fatally shot himself. The murders he committed, his suicide, and his manifesto have been named as early influences on the incel and manosphere subculture.

Born in London, Rodger relocated to California with his family as a child. Son of British filmmaker Peter Rodger, he grew up in a privileged household. Rodger struggled with social isolation, mental health issues, and rejection. As a teenager, he was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), but did not meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis. He started treatment and received special education resources and therapy for most of his life. He endured bullying during his time in middle and high school. Several incidents of Rodger's strange behavior during his time in Isla Vista, California, along with videos and other writings that mentioned violent intentions, worried his family and acquaintances.

On May 23, 2014, Rodger murdered six people and injured fourteen others using knives, semi-automatic pistols, and his car as a weapon in Isla Vista near the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). 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 at different times. Hours later, he drove to the Alpha Phi sorority house, where he intended to murder its occupants but was unable to enter the premises. Rodger instead shot at three women from the Delta Delta Delta sorority who were walking near the Alpha Phi sorority house, killing two of them while critically injuring the third. He later drove by a nearby delicatessen, shooting and killing a man inside. Afterward, Rodger drove around Isla Vista, indiscriminately shooting and ramming pedestrians with his vehicle. He exchanged gunfire with sheriff's deputies twice, getting shot in his hip. Shortly after, he crashed his vehicle into a parked car. As police examined the vehicle, they found Rodger dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.

Before starting the attacks, Rodger uploaded a video to YouTube, announcing his intention to "punish" women—as well as the men to whom they were attracted—for their lack of interest in him. He also e-mailed a 137-page manifesto—in which he described his major life events, personal struggles, and frustrations at having remained a lifelong virgin—to several of his family members, acquaintances, and therapists. In the years following his death, Rodger's attacks became a topic in conversations about mental health, online radicalization, and misogyny. He is cited as an early figure of the incel and manosphere subculture, being referred to as a "saint" in internet forums. Rodger's attacks have often been praised by incels around the world. He has both influenced and been referenced by perpetrators of other copycat killings, with some referring to their actions as "going E.R." Rodger’s killings have sparked social media campaigns such as #NotAllMen and #YesAllWomen and have contributed to ongoing debates about toxic masculinity, gender-based violence, and the influence of internet forums in radicalizing young men who intend to commit copycat crimes.

Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger was born on July 24, 1991, in Lambeth, London, England, to Peter Rodger and Ong Li Chin. Peter, a British national, is a filmmaker who has directed television commercials. His mother is Malaysian Chinese and has also worked in the film industry; after training in health care, she worked as an on-set nurse during production of The Princess Bride (1987) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). His paternal grandfather George Rodger was a photojournalist who was well known for his images of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Following Rodger's birth, his family moved to Sussex, England, where he enjoyed an affluent and privileged childhood. Li Chin left her work in health care to take care of Rodger and soon bore a daughter. Rodger developed a close relationship with his maternal grandmother, who later moved with his family. He initially attended Dorset House School, a private, all-boys school in West Sussex. When Rodger was five, due to his father's directing career, his family moved to Woodland Hills, an upscale neighborhood of Los Angeles. Rodger claimed that his first friend in the United States was the daughter of British musician Paul Humphreys, and that she was his first and only female friend. Rodger then attended Topanga Elementary School.

Rodger's parents divorced when he was seven years old. Custody of Rodger was split between his parents' homes, and a year after their divorce, Rodger's father married Moroccan-born French actress Soumaya Akaaboune. Rodger expressed shock at how quickly his father remarried, but ultimately came to respect him for his decision. He soon viewed romantic relationships with women as a marker of social status. Rodger struggled with social interactions from an early age. In elementary school, he was withdrawn, whispered responses, and wrote answers instead of speaking. He avoided peers at recess and was overwhelmed by social gatherings. A trip to Disneyland around age five brought him to tears due to the crowds. He also exhibited repetitive behaviors such as making noises and foot-tapping.

In 1999, Rodger's mother filed an affidavit asking for more child support from his father, labeling her son as a "high-functioning autistic child" with special needs. Rodger's father presented a diagnosis by a doctor, who stated the autism diagnosis was incorrect because the examiner might have missed conditions such as depression and anxiety. The doctor recommended an additional evaluation of Rodger by a child psychiatrist to obtain a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Rodger had a difficult relationship with his stepmother Akaaboune, whose parental authority he rejected in favor of that of his biological mother.

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