SANTA BARBARA, California — Death descended upon the Isla Vista community in southern California Friday night as a murderous young man reportedly played out his narcissistic plan, echoing sentiments from his disturbing manifesto.
Crossing the paths of obsession and death, Elliot Rodger, according to police, stabbed and killed his three roommates, tried and failed to gain entry to the Alpha Phi sorority, shot and killed two more outside the sorority, and continued on to shoot, kill and maim with his car numerous others until being reportedly shot by swift-acting police officers and dying of a gun shot wound to the head.
No doubt this man left widespread mourning in the wake of his rampage. Yet the actions of Alpha Phi sorority members may have spared the lives of many more in not answering Rodger’s disturbing knocks at the sorority doors Friday night. One former University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) student, also a former resident of Isla Vista and current Sunday security for Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara, recalled his two and a half years living in the area and the heavy partying that leaves many drunk and wandering the streets by around 8:30pm. This student told Breitbart News that area residents, particularly a house full of girls, most likely would not open the door after around that time on a Friday night due to potential danger.
Posted on the door of Alpha Phi is a note to the public stating the sorority will not be commenting on the recent incident at this time. Private security has been retained, and two guards at a time have been seen keeping watch over the house. The sorority did however, post the following message to Facebook: “Peace, prayers, and love go out to the victims and all those affected by the horrific incident last night. We are so thankful that all of our members are safe. Our heart goes out to the community.” A picture of Saturday night’s candlelight vigil has been posted on their page as well.
Recalling the events of Friday night, one local coffee shop employee said he was at his house when the shooting broke out and he could hear the shots. Another said he would have been in the direct vicinity but had changed his normal Friday night activity; however, a former coworker had been “clipped in the leg.”
Two members of the UCSB fencing team told Breitbart News, while they did not hear the shots, they were walking toward the scene when people fleeing the area told them what was happening so they turned and headed away. The two are residents in the Isla Vista area.
Pastor of local Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara David Guzik spoke of the murder in his Sunday message. He said, “Our community was touched, impacted, touched, wounded.” Guzik went on to say, “We don’t short sell the presence of evil in this world,” and he continued, “It also tells us something about the courage and the great work of our first responders.” Guzik further said, “It tells us something about our culture and how the idols of our culture work destruction in the lives of troubled people.”
A few members of Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara volunteer with the Sheriff’s Department, offering support in situations such as this. While so far no church members have been identified as directly affected by Friday night’s events, a number of them regularly spend time building relationships with residents of the Isla Vista community.
The murderer’s manifesto not only spoke of obsessive behavior regarding sexual frustration and death but also of feeling he would become rich while still young, specifically feeling his destiny was to obtain riches through winning the lottery, reported Breitbart California. According to his own account in the manifesto, he spent hundreds on playing the Megamillions Lottery.
This article has been updated.