Following Wednesday’s murder-suicide shootings at UCLA, investigators continue to search for answers. The campus lockdown lasted a few hours before police declared the premises safe, and police later revealed their belief that the incident involved a student gunning down his professor over bad grades. The tragedy has once again reignited the gun control issue, which never really leaves the public discourse. Mass shootings take place on a near daily basis, and sites that track these happenings have already racked up 161 occurrences this year, leading up until the end of May.
Investigators now reveal more details about the gunman, now identified as former Ph.D student Mainak Sarkar, and another possible motive for the violence. KTLA 5 in Los Angeles reports that Sarkar confronted the victim, William Klug, in his office. Before shooting Klug, the gunman allegedly accused him of stealing computer code that Sarkar had authored. The news station also reports an apparent social media posting from the gunman:
“William Klug, UCLA professor is not the kind of person when you think of a professor. He is a very sick person. I urge every new student coming to UCLA to stay away from this guy. He made me really sick. Your enemy is my enemy. But your friend can do a lot more harm. Be careful about whom you trust.”
Sarkar reportedly railed against Klug for months, and university sources call Sarkar’s theft accusations “absolutely untrue” and “psychotic.” Police also reveal that the gunman harbored fury for more than one person. After the murder-suicide was discovered and the lockdown lifted, investigators uncovered key evidence — a kill list — at the gunman’s home. Police discovered that Sarkar, a Minnesota resident, included Klug’s name on this list along with a woman who was found dead in a small Minnesota town. At this time, police aren’t sure how Sarkar knew the female victim.
While reacting to this news, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said what’s on many people’s minds: “There is no good reason for this.”
(Via LA Times & KTLA 5 in Los Angeles)