A gunman described as mentally disturbed and possibly bent on retribution sprayed bullets from a slow-moving car in a small
Southern California college town, killing six people in a rampage called "premeditated mass murder," Santa Barbara County sheriff's deputies said Saturday.
The gunman also died from
a gunshot wound after his car crashed Friday night, police said. It was
unclear if the fatal head wound was self-inflicted or the result of a
firefight with police.
Seven people also were
being treated in a hospital for gunshot wounds or traumatic injuries,
including at least one who was in surgery, said sheriff's office
spokeswoman Kelly Hoover.
"The sheriff's office has
obtained and is currently analyzing written and video evidence that
suggests this was a premeditated mass murder," Hoover said.
Hoover apparently was
referring to a YouTube video titled "Retribution" posted by a young man.
In the nearly seven-minute video, the young man rants about women who
ignored or rejected him over the past eight years and warns that he will
"punish you all for it."
"Tomorrow is the day of retribution, the day in which I will have my revenge," the man says on the video.
The shootings occurred in
Isla Vista near the University of California, Santa Barbara, in a
crowded area bustling with activity on Memorial Day weekend.
"I don't recall hearing
any screaming," witness Robert Johnson told CNN, describing the moment
the gunman opened fire on people outside a deli. "It was at that point
where I turned and ran in the opposite direction. ... There's a lot of
confusion. Even shortly after this whole ordeal had ended, I think a lot
of people didn't realize the magnitude of the situation."
The violence began and
ended within minutes, from 9:27 p.m. when shots were reported to around
10 minutes later when police discovered the body of the suspected
gunman, CNN affiliate KEYT-TV said. Authorities said there were nine separate crime scenes.
"Sheriff's deputies
responded and found several victims suffering from gunshot wounds. As
sheriff's deputies were attending to the victims and performing first
aid, they were also receiving suspect information. Only minutes later,
there were additional reports of shots fired in several other areas of
Isla Vista," Hoover said.
U.S. law enforcement
officials said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
and FBI were assisting local police in the investigation, including
trying to trace the handgun used and where the possible suspect obtained
it.
Johnson told CNN he was
standing on a corner when he heard what he thought were fireworks. Then a
black BMW with tinted windows drove by and either slowed down or
stopped outside a deli where as many as eight people were eating
outside. Someone in the car opened fire.
"It all happened very
quickly, but I think this happened to be the largest group on the
street," he said. "It think it was just targeted because it was the
largest group in the area."
No comments:
Post a Comment