The parents of David Wang and George Chen — the first two victims killed in the rampage near the University of California Santa Barbara campus — believe the tragedy could have been prevented, and are bothered that Elliot Rodger’s parents did not extend their condolences.
“There were several opportunities missed,” Jane Wang said during a “CBS This Morning” interview (above) on Thursday. “It is time for all Americans to wake up to do our own part. So maybe it’s too late for our children, but it is not too late for all Americans.”
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When CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy asked if “the parents of the killer personally reached out,” father Johnny Chen said “no,” and stated he is “definitely” upset.
“We want to hear some personal condolence and apologize, and this is the minimum they should do,” Chen said.
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Peter Rodger, a second unit director on “The Hunger Games” production, did send the two families a letter of apology after being contacted by CBS News.
Still, the Wangs and Chens believe he is getting too much media attention, and are outraged by Rodger’s upcoming “20/20” interview with Barbara Walters.
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In a preview of the special that aired on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Thursday, Rodger said he did not think his son was capable of becoming “a mass murderer.”
“There’s no way I thought that this boy could hurt a flea,” Rodger said during the interview, which airs Friday. “This is the most unbelievable thing, Barbara. What I don’t get is that we didn’t see this coming at all.”
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The parents interviewed by CBS believe the only way to stop more mass shooting from happening is for families to become more involved in their children’s lives, and wish Rodger would have done just that.
Here is a preview of Walters’ interview: