<p>There’s a good chance the victims were students because it’s very much a college town. The shooter was a student at a nearby CC. His parents had notified police before the incident when they saw the YouTube video. Their lawyer says he has Aspergers. The hospitalized victims do seem to be students according to friends who are talking to the press. This is sounding very Adam Lanza.</p>
<p>One of the injured (the bike rider) is very critically injured with a head wound.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s the same impression I got from seeing the video. </p>
<p>His tone and mannerisms remind me of a few college classmates who could be perfectly cast as stereotypical rich snobs who feels entitled to the finest things in life…even though most weren’t anything of the kind. </p>
<p>In fact, his tone/accent seems similar to old ads about a bunch of rich guys asking “Please pass the grey poupon”. </p>
<p>The video comes across as extremely campy if this spoiled brat hadn’t gone off to murder 7 people because he can’t get over his overentitlement. </p>
<p>“Perfect gentleman” indeed… </p>
<p>:(</p>
<p>So the parents informed the police about the videos weeks ago? The video with the threat against sorority houses was made just two days ago, I thought. I wonder if the parents saw that one? Did the police? What else did the parents do knowing the shooter was very disturbed? I know there are limits since he is an adult, but did they try to get him into mental health treatment? So many questions.
It is Adam Lanza, Jared Loughner, ad nauseum all over again. </p>
<p>Going on murderous rampages is not a characteristic of people with Asperger’s. Many of them tend to be shy, but they have a good sense of right and wrong, and know that this is terribly wrong. Adam Lanza had additional mental problems. The lawyer may be claiming this as an out, but this person is very delusional. </p>
<p>Like this person, people with Aspergers can be lonely and even obsess about wishing to be dating someone, but I haven’t seen the entitlement or focus on violent revenge that this person displays in anyone I have ever known with Aspergers. If he has it, then I think he also has something else going on.</p>
<p>Penny, there were definitely other things going on. It sounds like the parents were aware that there were issues. I mean, they called the police on their kid. The problem is no-one seems to be able to figure out what these issues are until it’s too late. Let alone solve them.</p>
<p>I just saw where his mother (maybe stepmother?) is one of the Les Vraies Housewives, a French version of Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise. So very creepy. </p>
<p>I don’t want to be quick to blame the parents. They tried to alert authorities, they had no guns in the home and spoke against weapons. They apparently tried to work with a social worker re: the son. He was 22 so there is a limit to what they could do. whatever happened to involuntary mental health observations (5150) when someone is a danger to themselves or others? </p>
<p>How is this kid with his deep hatred of women anything other than a domestic terrorist? We don’t concern ourselves with the mental health of foreign mass murderers who want to kill Americans. Sometimes I think our rush to find explanations in these shooters’ mental health both stigmatize all people with a similar condition (but not the murderous tendencies–to Pennylane’s point) and keep us from looking at the dangers people like this pose to society as a whole. Apparently this guy is being regarded as a hero among the “incel” (involuntarily celibate woman-hater) crowd on the internet.</p>
<p>One article I read said the police did interview him after parents called them. It’s tough because you can’t arrest someone who hasn’t done anything yet. I wish though, if the parents were concerned enough to call the police, that they could have also had him hospitalized, as MizzBee said- for being a possible danger to others. Hindsight is 20-20 though… </p>
<p>I don’t think this can be excused by mental illness, but his thinking is distorted and paranoid ( he thought women were doing this to him, the tape of the couple on the beach - he stated they were ruining his view.)</p>
<p>For slightly different reasons, Sally, I do tend to agree with you. Mostly, I just don’t think crazy is curable so whenever these discussions run into the more mental care area it’s a little frustrating. As though, if only he had the right therapist he would no longer be a mass murderer. Sadly, I’m skeptical…</p>
<p>A 5150 requires evidence and the standard for having someone involuntarily committed is extremely high. Would the YouTube video be enough? It’s doubtful. Civil liberties prevent anyone, including a parent of a disturbed adult, from “having someone hospitalized”.</p>
<p>A 5150 only lasts for 72 hours. Someone like him would have been able to act sane enough to be discharged. </p>
<p>Here is one of the victims. This is SO tragic.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/may/24/recent-westlake-high-grad-killed-isla-vista-shooti/”>http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/may/24/recent-westlake-high-grad-killed-isla-vista-shooti/</a></p>
<p>He does seem reminiscent of Adam Lanza, although he didn’t blame his family for his unhappy life. He did wreck their life, though, as well as many others.</p>
<p>The filmed rant is reminiscent of a lot of themes these days, which is that someone else is responsible for what’s not optimal about your life, and its not fair. I do think its mental illness, but obviously in someone who was rather high functioning. </p>
<p>Its going to be of interest to hear what the police say about their contact with him. I’m reluctant to hold them overly accountable, but in this case they had the “support” of the family to possibly take some action. I wonder if they had the legal ability to ascertain whether he had access to weapons. </p>
<p>Horrific. I don’t want some twit like this to shoot me or my kids, not to mention anyone else. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So then doesn’t that make him “sane”? I wouldn’t think “insanity” could be turned on and off at will. This kid’s behavior seems completely planned and carefully premeditated. At some level, I think people are “crazy” to commit a lot of crimes, anyway.</p>
<p>I think there are some mentally ill people who are “aware” of it and develop the ability to conceal it, because it makes their life easier. It fits into the category of possibly being “crazy” but not stupid. </p>
<p>He obviously seems mentally ill—but, then again, half the people I know probably qualify for some kind of DSM-IV diagnosis. </p>
<p>He does not seem “insane” in the legal definition. But that’s a moot point. </p>
<p>At least one of the confirmed fatalities was a member of a UCSB sorority–my condolences to all her sisters, friends, and family</p>
<p>Right. It’s not like it will ever change. :(</p>
<p>As another alumn of UCSB I would probably not have titled the thread that there was a shooting ‘at’ UCSB, when it was at a nearby community, apparently by a student of a different college, who was too creepy to get a date.</p>
<p>However, I am also horrified. Not to mention furious, actually. </p>