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Peter Rodger, the father of Santa Barbara mass murderer Elliot Rodger, and the father of one of the victims embraced in a show of solidarity. Richard Martinez' only son, Christopher Michaels-Martinez, was killed while shopping at a deli when Rodger opened fire on the shop. He was 20 years old.
Martinez has been vocal with the press, telling the L.A.Times, "The talk about gun rights? What about Chris’ right to live? When will enough people say: 'Stop this madness! We don’t have to live like this! Too many people have died!'"
He said then he'd like to meet up with Peter Rodger to talk about preventing future incidents. The two finally met up on June 1. Photos taken by Rodger family friend Simon Astaire show the pair embracing were recently released.
Martinez told the NY Daily News, "I have met Peter Rodger, and we plan to work together so that other families such as ours will not have to suffer such as we have. This was a private conversation between grieving fathers who have reached common ground."Elliot Rodger's rampage was not without warning signs.
Peter Rodger and Elliot’s mother, Chin Rodger, had alerted police about disturbing content their son had been posting online back in April. However, the officers who checked up on him found him "polite," but failed to find his supply of weapons—something Elliot Rodger wrote about in his disturbing 140-page manifesto. On the day of the shooting, his parents rushed to Isla Vista, fearing the worst after receiving a message regarding more alarming content Elliot had posted online.
Rodger's manifesto contained several disconcerting stories of increasing malice towards women he felt were ignoring him and their boyfriends, including one night where he attempted to push some women off a ledge in a fit of drunken jealousy. One of the men present that night had blocked Rodger from pushing the girls, resulting in Rodger falling off the ledge himself. Later, the man, identified as Yukito Isoda, told KTLA reporters that he wished he had pushed Rodger harder.
Other warning signs included roommates that moved after finding sharing a dorm with Rodger to be uncomfortable. Rodger ended up murdering his most recent roommates prior to opening fire on the streets of Isla Vista.
