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The effects of the 2014 Isla Vista killings is the legacy and impact of the 2014 Isla Vista killings, which occurred on May 23, 2014 at Isla Vista, California. Elliot Rodger and his murder spree and manifesto brought the incel community to mainstream attention, with him having been praised by young men around the world who identify as incels by describing Rodger as being a martyr or hero. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Radical incels refer to him as a "saint" and see him as a "hero", celebrating "Saint Elliot Day" on the anniversary of his attacks. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] Incels also refer to Rodger as "E.R.", and his mass killings have inspired copycat crimes. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] Rodger is frequently cited as an influence by incels involved in or suspected of other mass killings, often referring to their attacks as "going E.R." [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] The media and academia have since described Rodger as the author of the modern incel ideology. [25]
On May 23, 2014, 22-year-old Elliot Rodger killed six people and injured fourteen others by using knives, semi-automatic pistols and his car in Isla Vista, California, 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. Hours later, he drove to a sorority house, intending to murder its occupants. Unable to enter, Rodger shot at three women walking outside the sorority house, killing two. He later drove by a nearby delicatessen, shooting and killing a man inside.
Afterward, Rodger went around Isla Vista, shooting indiscriminately and ramming into pedestrians with his BMW. He exchanged gunfire with sheriff's deputies twice, the latter occurrence resulted in Rodger getting shot in his hip. Shortly after, he crashed his vehicle into a parked car. As police looked around the vehicle, they found Rodger dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. Before starting his attacks, Rodger uploaded a YouTube video in which he detailed his intentions of "punish[ing]" women for their lack of interest in him, as well as the men whom they were attracted to. He also e-mailed a 137-page manifesto—where he detailed his major life events, personal struggles, and frustrations with having remained a virgin his entire life—to several of his family members, acquaintances, and therapists.
After the attacks, PUAHate closed its forums, mentioning that it was "for maintenance". However, it was then permanently shut down, causing its members to go to other chatrooms and forums. [26] [27] [28] [29] Men on social media and in the comments on Rodger's YouTube videos, empathized with Rodger's views and difficulties, with some suggesting that being ignored by women was a valid reason for committing murder against them. [30] [31] A Facebook page named "Elliot Rodger Is an American Hero" was created, calling on men to share their thoughts and pay tribute to Rodger for what was described as his "ultimate sacrifice in the struggle against feminazi ideology." [32] The page also shared Rodger's "Retribution" video, with several commentators expressing support for his quest for vengeance against women. [33] Activists reported the page for promoting hate speech, harassment, and violence, and initiated a campaign on Twitter encouraging others to report the page to Facebook. [34] Facebook's response was that the page did not infringe upon its community standards, leading to widespread criticism on Twitter. [34] [35] Ultimately, the page was deactivated, with Facebook citing its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities as the rationale for the decision. [34] [36]
Following the misogynistic nature of Rodger's crimes and the identification of his hatred for women as a motivating factor, some Twitter users employed the hashtag #NotAllMen to express that "not all men" behave in such a manner or would commit similar acts. [37] Other users believed the attacks were not misogynistic because Rodger killed more men than women. [38] [39] The hashtag faced criticism for diverting attention away from the broader issue of the dangers against women. [40] [41] In a bid to shift the focus back to the issues of misogyny and sexism experienced by women, two Twitter users introduced the hashtag #YesAllWomen, highlighting that all women endure sexism and misogyny. [42] Within just four days of its inception, the #YesAllWomen hashtag had been used 1.2 million times on Twitter, quickly eclipsing previous hashtags that aimed to spotlight violence and sexism against women. [43]
In March 2015, Hong, Wang, and Chen's parents filed a civil rights lawsuit against Santa Barbara County, the Sheriff's department, Capri Apartments, and the property management company claiming negligence and breaches of the victims' constitutional right to due process. [44] [45] [46] They claimed that since Rodger moved into the Capri Apartments in 2011, he insulted and fought with a lot of his roommates and displayed odd behavior, but the apartment owners failed to conduct reasonable background checks before assigning Hong and Wang as his roommates and failed to warn them that Rodger had had serious conflicts with his previous roommates. [47] They also contended that the county and its Sheriff's Department violated their rights to due process by ignoring repeated "red flags" that Rodger was violent and unstable, even after a mental health worker saw YouTube videos that Rodger had posted and contacted authorities to say that Rodger appeared to be a danger to himself and others. [48]
U.S. District Judge John F. Walter removed Santa Barbara County and the Sheriff's department from the lawsuit on October 28, 2015, determining that the county had not infringed upon their constitutional rights under federal law and that the Sheriff's department did not act neglectfully, nor did their procedures or guidelines contribute to the harm they suffered. The judge concluded that the victim's parents failed to sufficiently demonstrate a violation of their due process rights, and although the judge dismissed the state-law claims within the lawsuit, he allowed for the claims to be re-submitted. The victim's parents proceeded to file their claims again on November 20, 2015, in state court. [49] Capri Apartments and the property management company sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, but their motion was denied in February 2017. By May 2017, a trial date was scheduled for September 15 of the same year. [50] The lawsuit was later settled nearly a week and a half before the trial was to start. Despite the property management company's denial of a settlement, an attorney for the victim's parents asserted a settlement was reached but said it was "confidential". The Santa Barbara Independent claimed that a settlement of $20 million was reached. [51]
In June 2015, the cyclist who was struck by Rodger's vehicle and subsequently handcuffed filed a civil lawsuit against Santa Barbara County, Rodger's parents, and the University of California, Santa Barbara, citing negligence, false imprisonment, and civil rights infringements for not giving him immediate medical attention after getting hit. The lawsuit contended that both campus police and the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department did not adequately investigate Rodger despite his release of several YouTube videos indicating his potential threat to others. Additionally, it was argued that Rodger's parents were negligent in allowing their mentally unstable son access to a BMW. [52] [53] [54]
The attack sparked discussion of broader issues of violence against women and misogyny. [55] [56] According to the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism at the Hague, Rodger's attacks were an act of misogynist terrorism. [57] The US Secret Service described it as "misogynistic extremism". [58] Writer M.E. Williams objected to Rodger being labeled the "virgin killer", saying that implies that "one possible cause of male aggression is a lack of female sexual acquiescence". [59] Amanda Hess, writing for Slate , argued that although Rodger killed more men than women, his motivations were misogynistic because his reason for hating the men he attacked was that he thought they stole the women he felt entitled to. [38] Writing for Reason , Cathy Young countered with "that seems like a good example of stretching the concept into meaninglessness – or turning it into unfalsifiable quasi-religious dogma" and wrote that Rodger also wrote many hateful messages about other men. [60]
Film critic Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post attributed the attacks to Hollywood's "sexist movie monoculture," which she claimed was largely produced by white men. [61] [62] [63] She criticized American actor Seth Rogen and American director Judd Apatow, stating that Rogen's role in the 2014 movie Neighbors and Apatow's directing encouraged "outsized frat-boy fantasies", making people like Rodger feel "unjustly shut out of college life that should be full of 'sex and fun and pleasure'." [64] [65] [66]
The attacks renewed calls for gun control and improvements in the American health care system. [67] Sheriff Bill Brown blamed Rodger's actions and the subsequent attacks on shortcomings in the mental health treatment system. He pointed out a widespread shortfall in resources for community mental health care and criticized the inadequate communication from healthcare professionals regarding individuals who exhibit suicidal or homicidal thoughts. [68] Several legislators in California demanded an evaluation of the interaction between the deputies and Rodger on April 30, [69] with the FBI launching an investigation on how the Sheriff's Office handled the situation. [70] The deputies did not consult the California gun ownership database, which already showed Rodger's purchase of at least two handguns. [69] They also did not examine the YouTube videos that led Rodger's parents to reach out to them. [71] Subsequently, the Sheriff's Office concluded that the responding deputies followed all rules and conducted themselves professionally, in alignment with both state law and departmental guidelines.[ citation needed ] Despite California being one of the most strict states in the United States with gun laws, Rodger, who despite having undergone several years of psychiatric treatment, passed all necessary background checks. Because he had neither been institutionalized for mental health issues nor possessed a criminal history, he was able to purchase all three firearms. [72] In California, at the time, undergoing mental health treatment did not disqualify people for applying for firearms. Furthermore, even when Rodger's parents alerted the police to his threats on YouTube, the absence of an immediate threat meant the police lacked the authority to search his apartment, search the gun registry, or confiscate any firearms without a warrant based on probable cause. [73] Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut advocated for the reinstatement of gun-control measures previously declined by Congress following the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, suggesting such legislation might have prevented the shooting spree. [74] Blumenthal emphasized the necessity to refocus gun-control initiatives around mental health issues, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced resources to support individuals with mental illnesses. [75] [76] In his address, Michaels-Martinez's father attributed the attacks to the "craven, irresponsible" actions of politicians and the National Rifle Association (NRA), accusing the NRA of prioritizing gun rights above public safety. [77] [78] [79] Subsequently, Martinez said he wanted members of Congress to stop calling him to offer condolences for his son's death and appealed to the public to unite with him in "demanding immediate action" on gun control from Congress members. [80] Additionally, he extended his sympathies towards the parents of Rodger. [81] Timothy F. Murphy, a Pennsylvania Representative and clinical psychologist, presented his bipartisan mental health reform as a solution and called on Congress to enact it. [82] [83] Santa Barbara Assemblymembers Das Williams and Nancy Skinner introduced legislation that would allow law enforcement, close relatives, or roommates to request a court order for the confiscation of firearms from individuals deemed a serious risk to themselves or others. [84] [85] State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson also proposed a bill enforcing officers consult a state firearms registry during assessments of potential threats to personal or public safety. [86] Jackson's bill received unanimous Senate approval in August 2014. [87] While Williams and Skinner's bill successfully passed through both legislative chambers, it faced opposition from the National Rifle Association and other groups advocating for Second Amendment rights, who launched statewide robocall campaigns against it. Williams highlighted the external origin of the calls and maintained that the legislation received significant bipartisan support. [88] Governor Jerry Brown ultimately signed both bills into law in September 2014, [89] <
Rodger's killing spree inspired numerous copycat killings, including:
Private (Recruit) Minassian Infantry 00010, wishing to speak to Sgt 4chan please. C23249161. The Incel Rebellion has already begun! We will overthrow all the Chads and Stacys! All hail the Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger! [97] [98] [99] [100]
Between January and the end of July 2020 [update] , five self-identified incels were arrested in separate incidents in North America for killing or planning to kill women.[ citation needed ] Among them was Cole Carini, a man who was charged with making false statements to law enforcement in June 2020 after claiming serious injuries to his hands had been caused by a lawnmower accident. Police alleged that Carini was actually injured while trying to make a bomb, and that he had written a note threatening violence against women and referencing Elliot Rodger. [109]
In April 2021, Malik Sanchez, a 19-year-old self-described incel who praised Elliot Rodger, [110] was arrested on federal charges after allegedly videotaping himself approaching women sitting outside a restaurant in Manhattan, New York and telling them he was going to detonate a bomb. [111] The man had previously been arrested several times for harassing others, often while recording or livestreaming, and for multiple assaults with pepper spray. [112]
In July 2021, a 21-year-old self-identified incel from Ohio Identified as Tres Genco was charged with attempting a hate crime and illegally possessing a machine gun. The man was a frequent poster on a popular incel website, where he wrote posts venerating Elliot Rodger. He wrote a manifesto in which he expressed his desire to "slaughter" women, and in another document he allegedly wrote about his goals to kill 3,000 people in a mass casualty attack. [113]
Rodger and his attacks would be featured in or would inspire numerous works which include:
Misogyny is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practised for thousands of years. It is reflected in art, literature, human societal structure, historical events, mythology, philosophy, and religion worldwide.
The term "secular saint" has no strict definition, but generally refers to someone venerated and respected for contributions to a noble cause, but not recognized as a canonical saint by any particular religion. The ranks of secular saints, like those of religious ones, are often filled by martyrs.
A copycat crime is a criminal act that is modeled after or inspired by a previous crime. It notably occurs after exposure to media content depicting said crimes, and/or a live criminal model.
The Collier Township shooting, also referred to as the Bridgeville LA Fitness shooting, was a mass shooting and murder-suicide that took place on August 4, 2009, in an LA Fitness health club in Collier Township, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The attack resulted in four deaths, including that of the perpetrator, who killed himself. Nine other people were injured. The fitness center is approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of Pittsburgh, in the Great Southern Shopping Center, a strip mall located in the Kirwan Heights section of Collier Township, just outside of the borough of Bridgeville.
The 2014 Isla Vista killings were two misogynistic terror attacks in Isla Vista, California. On the evening of Friday, May 23, 22-year-old Elliot Rodger killed six people and injured fourteen others by gunshot, stabbing and vehicle ramming near the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), before fatally shooting himself.
Peter Anthony Rodger is a British filmmaker, photographer, and commercial director. Rodger is known for his 2009 documentary film Oh My God, as well as for his work as a second unit director on The Hunger Games (2012). He is the recipient of accolades from the Houston International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Telly Awards, the Mobius Awards, and US International Film and Video Festival.
#YesAllWomen is a Twitter hashtag and social media campaign in which users share examples or stories of misogyny and violence against women. First used in online conversations about misogyny following the 2014 Isla Vista killings, the hashtag was popular in May 2014, and was created partly in response to the Twitter hashtag #NotAllMen. #YesAllWomen reflected a grassroots campaign in which women shared their personal stories about harassment and discrimination. The campaign attempted to raise awareness of sexism that women experience, often from people they know.
The hashtag #NotAllMen is a feminist Internet meme. A shortening of the phrase "not all men are like that", sometimes abbreviated "NAMALT", it is a satirical parody of arguments used to deflect attention away from men in discussions of sexual assault, the gender pay gap, and other feminist issues.
The manosphere is a diverse collection of websites, blogs, and online forums promoting masculinity, misogyny, and opposition to feminism. Communities within the manosphere include men's rights activists, incels, Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), pick-up artists (PUA), and fathers' rights groups. While the specifics of each group's beliefs sometimes conflict, they are generally united in the belief that society is biased against men due to the influence of feminism, and that feminists promote misandry, or hatred of men. Acceptance of these ideas is described as "taking the red pill", a metaphor borrowed from the film The Matrix.
A shooting occurred on October 1, 2015, at the Umpqua Community College campus near Roseburg, Oregon, United States. Chris Harper-Mercer, a 26-year-old student who was enrolled at the school, fatally shot an assistant professor and eight students in a classroom, and injured eight others. Roseburg police detectives responded to the incident and engaged Harper-Mercer in a brief shootout. After being wounded, he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. The mass shooting is the deadliest in Oregon's modern history.
The Aztec High School shooting was a school shooting that occurred on December 7, 2017, at Aztec High School in Aztec, New Mexico, United States. The perpetrator, William Atchison, a 21-year-old former student, entered the school in the morning disguised as a student and hid in the school restroom. He was discovered before he could launch a major attack, but fatally shot two students before killing himself. Investigators believe that the quick actions of the teachers in barricading doors to the classrooms helped prevent mass casualties.
A vehicle-ramming attack occurred on April 23, 2018, when a rented van was driven along Yonge Street through the North York City Centre business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The driver, 25-year-old Alek Minassian, targeted pedestrians, killing 11 and injuring 15, some critically. The incident is the deadliest vehicle-ramming attack in Canadian history.
Incel is a term associated with an online subculture of people who define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one, and blame, objectify and denigrate women and girls as a result. The movement is strongly linked to misogyny. Originally coined as "invcel" around 1997 by a queer Canadian female student known as Alana, the spelling had shifted to "incel" by 1999, and the term later rose to prominence in the 2010s, following the influence of misogynistic terrorists Elliot Rodger and Alek Minassian.
On November 2, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at Tallahassee Hot Yoga, a yoga studio located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. The gunman, identified as Scott Paul Beierle, shot six women, two of them fatally, and pistol-whipped a man before killing himself.
A mass stabbing is a single incident in which multiple victims are injured or killed with a sharp object thrusted at the victims, piercing through the skin and injuring the victims. Examples of sharp instruments used in mass stabbings may include kitchen knives, utility knives, sheath knives, scissors, katanas, hammers, screwdrivers, icepicks, bayonets, axes, machetes and glass bottles. Knife crime poses security threats to many countries around the world.
A misogynist terrorist attack in a Toronto erotic spa took place on 24 February 2020.
Misogynist terrorism is terrorism that is motivated by the desire to punish women. It is an extreme form of misogyny—the policing of women's compliance to patriarchal gender expectations. Misogynist terrorism uses mass indiscriminate violence in an attempt to avenge nonconformity with those expectations or to reinforce the perceived superiority of men.
On 12 August 2021, a mass shooting occurred in Keyham, Plymouth, England. The gunman, 22-year-old Jake Davison from Plymouth, shot and killed five people, including his mother and a 3-year-old girl. Davison also injured two others before fatally shooting himself. The inquest jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing of all of the victims.
Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger was an English-American former college student and mass murderer responsible for the 2014 Isla Vista killings. On May 23, 2014, Rodger killed six people and injured fourteen others by using knives, semi-automatic pistols and his car in Isla Vista, California, 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. Hours later, he drove to a sorority house, intending to murder its occupants. Unable to enter, Rodger shot at three women walking outside the sorority house, killing two. He later drove by a nearby delicatessen, shooting and killing a man inside.
Saint Elliot is a description of Rodger as a martyr due to his violent actions (Squirrel, 2018). A word frequency search of Saint Elliot reveals 25 occurrences within incels.co; a word tree query on Saint Elliot reveals that conversations featured the adoration and justification of his actions. Incels.co members also celebrated a "Happy Saint Elliot's Day" on May 23, the date of his shooting, favoring Rodger's actions. As a result, the term "Saint Elliot" is assigned to VERA-2's Glorification of Violent Action risk factor as it is as a term of adoration of incel-inspired violence against women.
No misogynist killer articulated the terroristic intention behind his selected target more clearly than 22-year-old Elliot Rodger, who set out on his 'War on Women' to 'punish all females for the crime of depriving me of sex.' The autobiography he left behind—which has been taken as a manifesto for the incel ideology—spells this out.