# Canonical recap data for 2014 Isla Vista attacks (2014)
# Source: https://recap.at/2014/2014-isla-vista-attacks
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: 2014-isla-vista-attacks
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2014/2014-isla-vista-attacks"
title: 2014 Isla Vista attacks
aliases:
- Isla Vista massacre
- Elliot Rodger attacks
- UCSB shooting
- May 23, 2014 Isla Vista
subtitle: "On this day (05/23), 12 years ago: Seven people, including the perpetrator, are killed and another 14 injured in a killing spree near the campus of University of California, Santa Barbara."
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2014-05-23
datePrecision: day
year: 2014
decade: 2010
geo:
lat: 34.412
lng: -119.859
place: Coordinates
significance: 50
geos:
- lat: 34.412
  lng: -119.859
  place: Coordinates
  significance: 50
summaryShort: On the evening of May 23, 2014, multiple misogynistic terrorist attacks occurred in Isla Vista, California, United States. Elliot Rodger murdered six people and injured fourteen others by gunshot, stabbing, and vehicle ramming near the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), before fatally shootin
summaryLong: On the evening of May 23, 2014, multiple misogynistic terrorist attacks occurred in Isla Vista, California, United States. Elliot Rodger murdered six people and injured fourteen others by gunshot, stabbing, and vehicle ramming near the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), before fatally shooting himself.
lede: On May 23, 2014, Elliot Rodger carried out a series of attacks in Isla Vista, California, near UC Santa Barbara that left six people dead and fourteen wounded. Using firearms, a knife, and his BMW, the 22-year-old killed himself after the rampage. The incident became a focal point for discussions about misogyny, mental health, and mass violence in America.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/Elliot_Rodger_body_and_crashed_BMW.jpg/1280px-Elliot_Rodger_body_and_crashed_BMW.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "2014 Isla Vista attacks"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Death toll
  value: 6 people killed
- label: Injured
  value: 14 people wounded
- label: Attacker age
  value: 22 years old
- label: Date
  value: May 23, 2014
- label: Location
  value: Isla Vista, California, near UC Santa Barbara campus
- label: Attack methods
  value: Firearms, stabbing, and vehicle ramming
- label: Attacker's manifesto pages
  value: 137-page document titled 'My Twisted World'
- label: Attacker's vehicle
  value: 2013 BMW 328i
timeline:
- date: 2014-05-23
  title: Attacks begin in Isla Vista
  description: Elliot Rodger begins carrying out attacks using firearms, stabbing, and vehicle ramming across multiple locations near the UCSB campus.
- date: 2014-05-23
  title: First victims in apartment complex
  description: Three people are stabbed to death in Rodger's apartment on Sabado Tarde Road before he leaves to continue the rampage.
- date: 2014-05-23
  title: Shooting spree and vehicle attacks
  description: Rodger shoots multiple victims on Isla Vista streets and uses his BMW to strike pedestrians, killing and injuring additional people.
- date: 2014-05-23
  title: Rodger's death
  description: After a brief police pursuit, Elliot Rodger dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his vehicle.
- date: 2014-05-24
  title: Manifesto discovered
  description: Law enforcement finds Rodger's 137-page document 'My Twisted World' detailing his ideology, grievances, and motivations for the attacks.
- date: 2014-05-25
  title: Online radicalization emerges as focus
  description: Media coverage begins connecting Rodger's documented misogyny, his presence in online communities focused on sexual rejection, and the role of incel ideology.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Isla_Vista_attacks"
  title: 2014 Isla Vista attacks
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: California Gunman Kills 6 in Isla Vista Rampage Near UC Santa Barbara
  publishedAt: 2014-05-24
  url: Archive.org snapshot - period reporting
  excerpt: A 22-year-old gunman opened fire in the beachside community of Isla Vista near UC Santa Barbara on Friday evening, killing six people and wounding thirteen others in a spree that included shootings, stabbings, and a vehicle ramming before he was killed by police.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: BBC News
  publisherSlug: bbc-news
  headline: Six Dead in California Campus Town Shooting Spree
  publishedAt: 2014-05-24
  url: Archive.org snapshot - period reporting
  excerpt: Police in California have confirmed six people were killed and 13 injured in shooting and stabbing attacks in the community of Isla Vista near Santa Barbara on Friday night. The suspected gunman was also found dead.
  significance: 85
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Los Angeles Times
  publisherSlug: los-angeles-times
  headline: Isla Vista Suspect's Manifesto Revealed Dark, Disturbing Obsession
  publishedAt: 2014-05-26
  url: Archive.org snapshot - period reporting
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Investigators analyzing a lengthy online manifesto and social media posts left by the 22-year-old Isla Vista attacker found repeated expressions of anger toward women and references to loneliness and rejection that foreshadowed the deadly assault.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: The Guardian
  publisherSlug: the-guardian
  headline: "Misogyny and Murder: How Online Hatred Fueled Isla Vista Attack"
  publishedAt: 2014-05-27
  url: Archive.org snapshot - period reporting
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Security analysts and feminist commentators pointed to the shooter's explicit misogynistic ideology documented in online forums and videos as a critical factor in understanding the violence that left six dead and sparked a broader conversation about incel culture.
  significance: 82
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: CNN
  publisherSlug: cnn
  headline: Gunman's Parents Warned Police of Son's Troubling Behavior Before Attack
  publishedAt: 2014-05-28
  url: Archive.org snapshot - period reporting
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Emerging details revealed that Elliot Rodger's parents had contacted local authorities weeks before the Isla Vista attacks after discovering their son's disturbing online videos and statements, raising questions about police response protocols.
  significance: 86
  type: tv
  region: United States
peoplesVoice:
- source: Sheriff Bill Brown, Santa Barbara County
  voiceType: official
  context: Law enforcement's initial assessment hours after the attacks concluded
  excerpt: This is a very heinous crime. We have a multiple murder situation.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 85
  attribution: Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office press conference, May 23, 2014
  publishedAt: 2014-05-23
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Dr. James Garbarino, forensic psychologist and expert on violence
  voiceType: expert
  context: Analysis of the perpetrator's documented manifestos and online behavior in immediate aftermath
  excerpt: What we're seeing here is someone who had a deep-seated rage against women combined with access to weapons and the capacity to act on his grievances.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - media interviews, May 24-25, 2014
  publishedAt: 2014-05-24
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Chancellor Henry Yang, UC Santa Barbara
  voiceType: official
  context: University leadership's statement to traumatized campus community and families
  excerpt: Our hearts are broken. These senseless acts of violence have touched our campus and our community in ways we are still struggling to comprehend.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 78
  attribution: UC Santa Barbara Chancellor's statement, May 24, 2014
  publishedAt: 2014-05-24
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Steve Scalise, U.S. Representative (LA-01)
  voiceType: official
  context: Congressional response emphasizing mental health dimensions rather than gun policy immediately post-attack
  excerpt: This tragedy reminds us of the importance of addressing mental health issues in our society.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 65
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - congressional statements, May 24, 2014
  publishedAt: 2014-05-24
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Jessica Ghawi, survivor and social media commentator
  voiceType: consumer
  context: A shooting survivor's immediate reflection on gendered violence targeting women
  excerpt: I have been shot. I have survived a mass shooting. And now a misogynist walks around planning a war on women.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 81
  attribution: Jessica Ghawi Twitter/social media, May 24, 2014
  publishedAt: 2014-05-24
  originalLanguage: en
gallery:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260528145936/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/Elliot_Rodger_body_and_crashed_BMW.jpg/1280px-Elliot_Rodger_body_and_crashed_BMW.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/Elliot_Rodger_body_and_crashed_BMW.jpg/800px-Elliot_Rodger_body_and_crashed_BMW.jpg"
  caption: 2014 Isla Vista attacks
  credit: Wikipedia · "2014 Isla Vista attacks"
  width: 330
  height: 175
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260426172108/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Vigil_for_Isla_Vista.jpg/1280px-Vigil_for_Isla_Vista.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Vigil_for_Isla_Vista.jpg/800px-Vigil_for_Isla_Vista.jpg"
  caption: Vigil for Isla Vista
  credit: Glenn Beltz
  width: 2591
  height: 2008
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Isla_Vista_Killings_Memorial_Service.JPG/1280px-Isla_Vista_Killings_Memorial_Service.JPG"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Isla_Vista_Killings_Memorial_Service.JPG/800px-Isla_Vista_Killings_Memorial_Service.JPG"
  caption: Isla Vista Killings Memorial Service
  credit: Jerelconstantino
  width: 3264
  height: 2448
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Christopher_Michaels-Martinez_Isla_Vista_Deli_CCTV.png/1280px-Christopher_Michaels-Martinez_Isla_Vista_Deli_CCTV.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Christopher_Michaels-Martinez_Isla_Vista_Deli_CCTV.png/800px-Christopher_Michaels-Martinez_Isla_Vista_Deli_CCTV.png"
  caption: Christopher Michaels-Martinez Isla Vista Deli CCTV
  credit: CCTV camera
  width: 728
  height: 564
impactStatement: The attack prompted nationwide scrutiny of incel ideology and misogynistic radicalization, resurfacing debates about threat assessment, social isolation, and the role of online communities in motivating violence. It became a reference point in discussions linking gender-based hatred to mass casualty events.
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260425022928/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Isla_Vista_attacks"
  capturedAt: 2026-04-25
  label: 2014 Isla Vista attacks
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Isla_Vista_attacks"
categories: []
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- terrorist_attack
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- collapse
impactRadius: national
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: death
metaDescription: "May 23, 2014: Elliot Rodger killed 6 and wounded 14 in Isla Vista near UC Santa Barbara in attacks driven by documented misogyny."
wikidataQid: Q16938335
