06-02-2014, 11:51 AM
Isla Vista Mass Murder: Police Oversights? -- Lessons Learned?
This is what's been confirmed in the past few days:
1. Police had interactions with Elliot Rodger three times over the last year.
2. While police were, in fact, informed by his mom of Youtube videos showing Rodger making threats of suicide and homicide, they did not watch the videos before or after performing the requested welfare check 3 weeks before his spree.
3. Police never checked or requested to check Elliot Rodger's residence or LE gun registration documents because they did not suspect he had any weapons and did not consider him a threat. All of Rodger's firearms were legally purchased despite his reported lifelong treatment for mental illness. His mentally ill status wasn't in the NICS background check database because he'd never been institutionalized, long term or by emergency hold.
I don't wanna bash the SBPD and understand that Rodger probably did come across as just another shy awkward college kid trying to fit in. Also, I understand that a lot of people post outrageous videos and remarks/claims over the internet. LE can't be expected to field them all.
I do hope, however, that this tragedy prompts some consideration and review of how LE should respond when contacted by a parent or social worker or other concerned party in regards to repeated and in-depth threats like those that Elliot Rodger posted. In the future, I hope that officers at least examine the threats posted first-hand and expect that the threat-maker will lie when questioned about them. They should also check the person's record of police visits and, if death threats have been made calling out specific weapons to be used, there should be a weapons check.
This is what's been confirmed in the past few days:
1. Police had interactions with Elliot Rodger three times over the last year.
2. While police were, in fact, informed by his mom of Youtube videos showing Rodger making threats of suicide and homicide, they did not watch the videos before or after performing the requested welfare check 3 weeks before his spree.
3. Police never checked or requested to check Elliot Rodger's residence or LE gun registration documents because they did not suspect he had any weapons and did not consider him a threat. All of Rodger's firearms were legally purchased despite his reported lifelong treatment for mental illness. His mentally ill status wasn't in the NICS background check database because he'd never been institutionalized, long term or by emergency hold.
I don't wanna bash the SBPD and understand that Rodger probably did come across as just another shy awkward college kid trying to fit in. Also, I understand that a lot of people post outrageous videos and remarks/claims over the internet. LE can't be expected to field them all.
I do hope, however, that this tragedy prompts some consideration and review of how LE should respond when contacted by a parent or social worker or other concerned party in regards to repeated and in-depth threats like those that Elliot Rodger posted. In the future, I hope that officers at least examine the threats posted first-hand and expect that the threat-maker will lie when questioned about them. They should also check the person's record of police visits and, if death threats have been made calling out specific weapons to be used, there should be a weapons check.