Who Is Elliot Rodger's Father?

Saturday a man named Elliot Rodger allegedly drove through the UC Santa Barbara campus and shot seven people, killing six. In the aftermath, as is often the case with mass acts of violence and tragedy, information started rolling in pretty rapidly: Rodger had recorded a seven minute video about his violent vendetta against women; three people had been found dead in his apartment; he'd sent a 140-page manifesto outlining his plans to the local TV station. It also turned out that Rodger had Hollywood origins: His father was Peter Rodger, a filmmaker and the assistant director of The Hunger Games.

Peter Rodger is best known for his role behind the scenes of the major blockbuster, as well as for the documentary Oh My God, which he directed, wrote, and starred in, and which featured the likes of Hugh Jackman, Ringo Starr, David Copperfield, Seal, and Baz Lurhmann. That one, according to IMDB, "asks people from all walks of life, from celebrities, to the religious, to atheists and the common Man — the question — 'What is God?'" He is currently married to Soumaya Akaaboune, though Elliot (and Elliot's sister Georgia Rodger) he had with ex-wife Chin Rodger.

We know very little at this point about Elliot or Peter's home life, but we do know that his family had reported him to the police after being troubled by his behavior. The police did not find sufficient evidence to hold him against his will.

As the frenzy around Saturday's shooting intensifies into a media circus it's important to remember one thing: The Rodgers just lost their son. That doesn't change just because his father works in Hollywood. Our condolences go out to that family and to every victim of Elliot's actions.