Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger (July 24, 1991 – May 23, 2014) was a British-American mass murderer who perpetrated the Isla Vista attacks, where he murdered six people and injured 14 others, before he fatally shot himself. The murders he committed, his suicide, and his manifesto have been named as early influences on the incel and manosphere subculture.
Born in London, Rodger relocated to California with his family as a child. The son of British filmmaker Peter Rodger, he grew up in a privileged household. Rodger struggled with social isolation, mental health issues, and rejection. As a teenager, he was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), but did not meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis. He started treatment and received special education resources and therapy for most of his life. He endured bullying during his time in middle and high school. Several incidents of Rodger's strange behavior during his time in Isla Vista, California, along with videos and other writings that mentioned violent intentions, worried his family and acquaintances.
On May 23, 2014, Rodger murdered six people and injured 14 others using knives, semi-automatic pistols, and his car as a weapon in Isla Vista 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 at different times. Hours later, he drove to the Alpha Phi sorority house, where he intended to murder its occupants but was unable to enter the premises. Rodger instead shot at three women from the Delta Delta Delta sorority who were walking near the Alpha Phi sorority house, killing two of them while critically injuring the third. He later drove by a nearby delicatessen, shooting and killing a man inside. Afterward, Rodger drove around Isla Vista, indiscriminately shooting and ramming pedestrians with his vehicle. He exchanged gunfire with sheriff's deputies twice, getting shot in his hip. Shortly after, he crashed his vehicle into a parked car. As police examined the vehicle, they found Rodger dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.
Before starting the attacks, Rodger uploaded a video to YouTube, announcing his intention to "punish" women—as well as the men to whom they were attracted—for their lack of interest in him. He also e-mailed a 137-page manifesto—in which he described his major life events, personal struggles, and frustrations at having remained a lifelong virgin—to several of his family members, acquaintances, and therapists. In the years following his death, Rodger's attacks became a topic in conversations about mental health, online radicalization, and misogyny. He is cited as an early figure of the incel and manosphere subculture, being referred to as a "saint" in internet forums. Rodger's attacks have often been praised by incels around the world. He has both influenced and been referenced by perpetrators of other copycat killings, with some referring to their actions as "going E.R." Rodger’s killings have sparked social media campaigns such as #NotAllMen and #YesAllWomen and have contributed to ongoing debates about toxic masculinity, gender-based violence, and the influence of internet forums in radicalizing young men who intend to commit copycat crimes.
Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger was born on July 24, 1991, in London, England, to Peter Rodger and Ong Li Chin. Peter, a British national, was a filmmaker who had directed television commercials. His mother is Malaysian Chinese and also worked in the film industry; after training in health care, she worked as an on-set nurse during production of The Princess Bride (1987) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). His paternal grandfather George Rodger was a photojournalist who was well known for his images of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
Following Rodger's birth, his family moved to Sussex, England, where he enjoyed a privileged childhood. Li Chin left her work in health care to take care of Rodger and soon bore a daughter. Rodger developed a close relationship with his maternal grandmother, who later moved in with his family. He initially attended Dorset House School, a private, all-boys school in West Sussex. When Rodger was five, due to his father's directing career, his family moved to Woodland Hills, an upscale neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Rodger's parents divorced when he was seven years old. Custody of Rodger was split between his parents' homes, and a year after their divorce, his father married Moroccan actress Soumaya Akaaboune. Rodger struggled with social interactions from an early age. In elementary school, he was withdrawn, whispered responses, and wrote answers instead of speaking. He avoided peers at recess and was overwhelmed by social gatherings. He also exhibited repetitive behaviors such as making noises and foot-tapping.
In 1999, Rodger's mother filed an affidavit asking for more child support from his father, labeling her son as a "high-functioning autistic child" with special needs. Rodger's father presented a diagnosis by a doctor, who stated the autism diagnosis was incorrect because the examiner might have missed conditions such as depression and anxiety. The doctor recommended an additional evaluation of Rodger by a child psychiatrist to obtain a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Rodger had a difficult relationship with Akaaboune, whose parental authority he rejected in favor of that of his biological mother.
Growing older, Rodger became self-conscious about his short height and slender frame; he briefly played basketball, believing it would make him grow taller. He also became embarrassed about his mixed-race heritage, which he felt set him apart from his entirely white peers. To blend in, Rodger dyed his hair blonde and began skateboarding, hoping these changes would help him befriend other children.
Many of Rodger's social connections at school were initiated by his parents or other students, or facilitated by the parents of his peers, and he later expressed anger when they stopped. He became known as a "quiet" and "weird kid" in middle school who intentionally annoyed classmates, leading to bullying by other students. He claimed one of his bullies was a blonde girl, which he stated contributed to the development of his misogynistic attitudes. Rodger's grades declined, his social activity decreased, and he immersed himself in video games such as World of Warcraft at his parents' houses and cybercafés. Akaaboune became concerned with his unwillingness to socialize and made him stop playing his video games, causing tensions between the two to escalate.
Upon reaching puberty, Rodger developed a high sex drive but began to believe he would never have sexual relationships with women. Rodger wrote that he began masturbating regularly while viewing images of women online and fantasizing about sexual activity with them. He said that he did not know how to access pornography and instead browsed general websites. When he was 11, a user on an AOL chatroom shared sexually explicit images of women with Rodger, which, he wrote, left him shocked and overwhelmed with emotion. Two years later, while at an internet café, Rodger saw another teenager viewing pornography, which left him shaken and caused him to return home crying. During this time, his stepmother became pregnant and gave birth to a son.
After finishing middle school, Rodger attended Crespi Carmelite High School and later William Howard Taft Charter High School. During his time at both schools, he experienced severe bullying by other students, which contributed to anxiety and social withdrawal. During this period, Rodger spent increasing amounts of time playing video games, including World of Warcraft, mostly at home, and retreated more from in-person social interactions.
In 2007, Rodger was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), a diagnosis now grouped under autism spectrum disorder, which pertained to someone having difficulties in developing socially. While Rodger did not meet the criteria to be diagnosed with autism, his PDD-NOS diagnosis helped him receive special educational resources. At age 15, Rodger was prescribed Xanax and Prozac, but he stopped taking both medications after a year. He later began taking Paxil, but reported that it left him feeling excessively drowsy and fatigued. Rodger claimed he had to "rely entirely" on his "mind and positive thinking" to manage his social anxiety. His father's filmmaking career severely declined during the 2000s, culminating in the documentary film Oh My God (2009), which bombed at the box office. The film's failure drove Rodger's father into debt and forced him to pause his child support payments.