YouTube shooting suspect’s father warned police
The father of a woman who shot three people at YouTube’s headquarters has revealed he warned police she “hated” the company and might be heading there.
Nasim Aghdam has been named as the shooter who targeted the firm’s complex in San Bruno, California, on Tuesday.
:: What we know about the shooter who ‘hated’ YouTube
The 39-year-old, who had accused YouTube of discrimination and blocking her work, was later found dead inside the building after apparently turning a handgun on herself.
Her father Ismail Aghdam said police had found his daughter sleeping in a car on the morning of the shooting after he had reported her missing the day before.
YouTube had “stopped everything” and “she was angry” he told the Bay Area News Group.
Her brother Shahran Aghdam told reporters outside the family home in Menifee, Riverside County: “She was always complaining that YouTube ruined her life”.
Mountain View Police spokeswoman Katie Nelson confirmed officers found Aghdam asleep in a car park at 2am.
She did not respond when asked if officers had been warned by her father that she might go to YouTube.
It has now emerged Aghdam had a number of YouTube channels and had been highly critical of the video sharing site.
In a video on her website, the animal rights activist complained about the number of views she was getting on YouTube.
“I’m being discriminated and filtered on YouTube and I’m not the only one,” she said.
Aghdam also attacked YouTube in a written post on her website.
“Videos of targeted users are filtered & merely relegated, so that people can hardly see their videos!” she said.
“There is no equal growth opportunity on YouTube or any other video sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to!!!!!”
Aghdam also quoted Adolf Hitler, saying: “Make the lie big, Make it simple, Keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.”
Detectives investigating a motive originally believed the shooting was a “domestic” incident and was not terror-related.
Police have since said “there is no evidence that the shooter knew the victims of this shooting or that individuals were specifically targeted”.
Panicked employees fled YouTube’s HQ on Tuesday as police hunted an “active shooter” following reports of gunfire.
Images posted on social media showed people being led out of the building with their hands above their heads.
Workers described barricading themselves in their offices and seeing blood splattered around the building during the carnage.
Erin@erinjeancWe are seeing @YouTube employees being brought out with hands up!
Three victims suffered gunshot wounds and are being treated in hospital.
They include a 36-year-old man in a critical condition, a 32-year-old woman in a serious condition and a 27-year-old woman who is stable, a San Francisco General Hospital spokesman said.
YouTube employee Todd Sherman said he saw a “person with a gun” as he headed towards an exit to the building.
“I looked down and saw blood drips on the floor and stairs,” he added.
Another member of staff, Dianna Arnspiger, said she ran to a window after hearing gunshots and saw the armed woman on a patio outside.
The suspect was wearing glasses and a scarf and using a “big huge pistol”, she said.
“It was a woman and she was firing her gun,” Ms Arnspiger said.
“I just said ‘shooter’ and everybody started running.”
YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki said on Twitter: “There are no words to describe how horrible it was to have an active shooter @YouTube today.
“Our deepest gratitude to law enforcement & first responders for their rapid response. Our hearts go out to all those injured & impacted today. We will come together to heal as a family.”
