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# Sheriff’s Deputies Knew About Rodger’s Videos During Welfare Check

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xD2tdW4E.m3u8" -->
## Video: Sheriff’s Deputies Knew About Rodger’s Videos During Welfare Check

[Watch (HLS stream): Sheriff’s Deputies Knew About Rodger’s Videos During Welfare Check](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xD2tdW4E.m3u8) (1:52)

![Sheriff’s Deputies Knew About Rodger’s Videos During Welfare Check](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/xD2tdW4E/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2014-05-30. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff admits deputies who checked on Elliot Rodger less than a month before his Isla Vista rampage knew about disturbing videos he posted online. However, the deputies didn’t watch the videos._


---

Jul 27, 2023 4:43 PM UTC

---

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### Sheriff's Deputy Killed in Colorado Shooting

---


## Transcript

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff admits deputies who checked on Elliot Rodger less than a month before his Isla Vista rampage knew about disturbing videos he posted online, but didn't watch them. That April 30th visit came after Rodger's mother and therapist had expressed concerns about his behavior. The guns Rodger used in the killings last Friday were stashed inside that very same apartment at the time. A department spokeswoman said on Sunday quote, they were not aware of any videos until after the shooting rampage occurred. Turns out that initial statement from the sheriff's spokesman wasn't true.

Police say Rodger stabbed three men to death inside his apartment last week before fatally shooting three other people. He also shot or tried to run over 13 more people with his car. It should be noted the video Rodger posted to YouTube describing what he called his day of retribution appears to be recorded the day before the rampage. So that's not the video we're talking about. The Sheriff wouldn't describe what videos where available to deputies at the time of the welfare check, except to call them disturbing. In a manifesto Rodger left behind, he described the check. I tactfully told them that it was all a misunderstanding, and they finally left.

If they demanded to search my room that would have ended everything. For a few horrible seconds I thought it was all over. The deputies instead found Rodger shy, timid, and polite, and decided he wasn't a danger to himself. A mental advocate and a former LAPD captain both question why the deputies wouldn't have watched the videos, since they were the reason Rodger's mother and therapist wanted him checked. While the captain said it might not have changed the outcome, it would have been part of a thorough investigation. The Washington Post says the sheriff didn't return emails questioning why previous statements said deputies were unaware of the videos.

Thanks for watching, I'm Megan Judy.

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