The man who killed six people on Friday during a shooting spree in the UCSB campus town of Isla Vista is believed to be the son of “Hunger Games” second unit director Peter Rodger, according to the family’s attorney.
Elliot Rodger is believed to be the shooter, though local authorities won’t release the name. A UCSB student, Elliot’s father is Peter Rodger, the second unit director on “The Hunger Games” and a director of the 2009 documentary “Oh My God.”
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“22-year-old Elliot Rodger posted a YouTube video hours before he unleashed his violence on the streets of Isla Vista — the UCSB community,” reported TMZ. “We’ve learned Rodger is the son of Peter Rodger, the second unit director of the first installment of ‘Hunger Games.’”
According to the Los Angeles Times, local authorities believe the shooting was premeditated and connected to the video Elliot posted on YouTube (see above) titled “Elliot Rodger’s Retribution” in which he threatens violence for being rejected by others.
“Yes, after I have annihilated every single girl in the sorority house I’ll take to the streets of Isla Vista and slay every single person I see there,” the young man said in the six-minute video recorded inside a car.
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The shootings began at 9:27 p.m. on Friday night in Isla Vista. After the shooter did a couple rounds of shooting from his black BMW, police exchanged fire with the shooter before he crashed into a parked vehicle. Police discovered the shooter dead and a semiautomatic handgun in the car.
A representative for Peter didn’t immediately respond to the TheWrap’s request for comment.
Update: According to Neighbors, there were at least three bodies removed from Elliot’s residence. These are believed to make up three out of the six deaths originally reported.
Additionally, a 140-page manifesto was delivered to a local news station, which was written by Elliot and titled “My Twisted World.” That is currently being investigated by authorities. Read it here.
Correction: This story originally misidentified the role of Peter Rodger on “The Hunger Games.” He was second unit director.