First of all, there is nothing wrong with posting this as a college town shooting. Anybody that knows anything about Isla Vista knows it's exactly that - a college town. Nothing but dorms, fraternities, sororities, apartments and houses full of college kids. It borders UC Santa Barbara (most kids just walk or bike there), and a large percentage of Santa Barbara City College students live there. Scores of kids are out and about all the time walking in big groups.
As many of you know, my 2 daughters live there. One is a senior at UCSB, and she lives in a house with 4 other girls on Del Playa. May be the most perfect place one could go to college. She walks 30 feet and goes for a run on the beach every morning, and often studies on the beach. Absolutely loves it. Sure, there's fun to be had and it has that reputation, but you don't get into UCSB being a dummy. Very rigorous academically. Fortunately, she had a doctors appointment on Friday so came home on Thursday night. This disturbed killer passed by her house twice. Not sure where exactly he shot, or where he ran into the people on bikes, but I'm sure it was very close since he started on Embarcadero Del Norte.
My other daughter lived on a street he also passed in Isla Vista. Yesterday was her first day at a popular pizza restaurant. She was in the back filling out her hiring paperwork when bullets hit there storefront glass. She described a crazy scene, with helicopters and yellow tape everywhere. She drove home first thing this morning.
I've cried and hugged my daughters a lot today. I feel so badly for those killed or hurt, their families and friends, and the students/faculty that will have to process and deal with us going forward.
I've got a lot of strong opinions about gun control but don't want to derail the thread. I can't for the life of me see why a 22 year old should need 3 handguns, which I see no other need for than killing humans. I do believe there are differences in rifles for hunting, etc. The right to bear arms is the most outdated thinking in existence IMO. We aren't living on the set of Tombstone anymore.
This guy was supposedly getting a lot of treatment, had Asperger's syndrome, etc. People have mental issues - and probably not a lot that can be done for those who are adults and relatively high functioning. But we must be in tune to warning signs.
Obviously if the videos or manifesto type stuff are found that has to be acted upon immediately. Other than that, I see no easy answers.
Extremely sad day in our household.