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Police: YouTube Shooter Was Calm In Interview Before Attack

Emergency and law enforcement personnel exit YouTube headquarters, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, in San Bruno, Calif.
Associated Press
Emergency and law enforcement personnel exit YouTube headquarters, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, in San Bruno, Calif.
Federal Agents Search San Diego-Area Home Where YouTube Shooter Had Lived
YouTube Shooter's Connection To San Diego GUEST:Dana Littlefield, reporter, The San Diego Union-Tribune

Our top story on midday addition, the woman identified by police as the shooter at YouTube headquarters. She has lived on and off in the San Diego area for years. Interviews of Nasim Aghdam from 2009 have been found on the San Diego Tribune. In recent months, she vented her frustration with policies and practices of YouTube. She ran several channels, and complained avidly about censorship and lack of payment very there is more about her story that comes to life. It becomes apparent the 38-year-old Nasim Aghdam , the police say she shot herself after moving three people at the headquarters. She was a woman of many Kossuth that became more erratic in recent days. Dana Littlefield welcome. Law enforcement descended on an apartment complex and for S ranch. What connection does that have to "Nasime Sabz"? >> It's been reported she lived there with a grandparent. Until very recently. Law enforcement went out there, up currently to serve a search warrant. >> What law enforcement agencies were involved? Do we know what they were looking for? >> Not specifically. No. I know that a number of official looking vehicles showed up at that residence this morning about 9:30 AM. There was at least one marked share vehicle. ATF has been involved. In the searches as well. Not only here, but also in Menifee were other relatives appeared to live. >> What were you able to find out about how long or how often she had been living at Diego? >> That is unclear. Family members have been interviewed by a variety of media. Locally and in northern California. What we know, is that we have information that she lived in San Diego until 2012. She has a sister-in-law who was contacted in San Diego. Is the brother, who was contacted. Her father is in Menifee as well. >> The Union Tribune has pictures of the shooter. In 2009, when she attended a protest. Tell us about that. >> We have a story that we published in 2009. And a photo that accompanied the article, she is pictured protesting with a group of others. Care all associated with pizza at the time. They were protesting testing that was done by the military out of CAP Pendleton on pigs. She's dressed in a black wig. She has genes on. There are Lodge droplets of blood that are painted on her clothing. She's quoted in the story, talking about being very much for animal rights. That is why she was out there that day. Did pizza have anything to say about the organization? >> We did receive a response today. He had knowledge that she did show up to protest with the organization more than once back then. That was around 2009. At some point, she disappeared on them. Her phone number changed Burka --- . >> so far, police say no notes were found from her. She posted complaints on YouTube. From the intensity of the protests. it seems like authorities have unanswered questions. >> they do. This situation has been through it as you can imagine. initially the reports were that this had something to do with a domestic dispute. it seems authorities have backed off of that.. The latest information we have been given is it still remains unclear, what connections if any, she may have had with people who were wounded in the shooting. the have been looking at her various pulse. A lot of opposed have been taken down. She had channels on YouTube, in which she spoke of her various causes. animal rights, veganism, and so forth. >> we have to end up there. I Venice backing with --- I have been speaking with Tribune reporters. Most people in San Diego were not even alive the day Martin Luther King was assassinated 50 years ago. yet the power of his words have kept him a living presence in the consciousness of America. A tribute to Dr. King on the 50th anniversary of his death will be held tonight, at the city of Hope international church in San Diego. Joining me as pastor Terrel Fletcher. Pastor Fletcher, welcome to the program. >> Thank you so much for having me. >> How do you approach tonight's presentation? Is it one of sadness? >> No. It's an occasion of remembrance. It's an occasion to continue to charge many women of faith and goodwill, to continue to move in the dream that he had. We look for tonight to be a great time of celebration. >> the theme of tonight's tribute is social justice. do you believe those two concepts are linked? >> This always been a link between people of faith and major administrative movements that have taken place. That's all over the world not just the U.S. Through ideals that are under all faiths are germane to having the community. When people of faith link with community and lawmakers, then great change happens. at the energy that fills faith that is not just oftentimes but very prevalent in the civil rights movement. >> one of the players that has place of honor is Bishop George McKinney. what have you learned from him about that time? >> Met of his era, or pillars of our community. very specifically one of the things I remember talking to him about, is his sense of knowing that this was the time. There were a lot of people that were fighting for civil rights in that time. King was not the only person. there was something unique when his wife went out, that drew people. as a leader and organizer during that time, many educators like him on the campus, started to feel this was the time. I thought that was fascinating. a movement like this. this is the time to get active. I think we are at another place in history, where you can feel that it is time to be involved in social justice movement. in the movement, not just for people of color but for all human beings of all persuasions, all over this world. it is about respect. it's knowing every person on the planet, deserves to have a roof over their head. they need to be able to enjoy life to the fullest spirit >> in addition to your keynote address, there's a panel discussion. tell us about that. >> I get you moderate the panel discussion. we are partnering with the city. they have been instrumental in bringing a higher education conversation to the social justice movement. Retake the grassroots of community. we partner it with a platform where educators can come and share the big picture ideas. they can be connected with men and women on the ground. we will have organizers on the panel, doctors community activists and educators. we will dialogue about how we see community developing. where we see social justice movement in 2018. what does it look like in the future? >> Many people believe, America would now be a very different place, if Dr. King outlived. >> I think his Dr. Bernice was asked the question if her father would have been more influential had he lived. she said no. this is where I fall. one of my favorite scriptures says let less the scene falls to the ground and dies, if it dies it will produce a lot of fruit. Is the same way in many respects, when a person pays an ultimate price, in this case, John Kennedy, Dr. King, when they pay an ultimate price, there is something that burst out of the seed. there's a legacy that lives in many people that grab onto it. Dr. King's name is alive today, and each of us through the assassination. as heartbreaking as it is, as tragic, however you want to shape it, what we do not understand, when you break the seed, the life is inside of it. he is as relevant today, as he was in 19 68 when he was assassinated. he lay down his life. it was the price he paid to be a moral authority. >> the city of hope international church the event marking 50 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King takes place tonight at the church beginning at 7 PM. thank you, so much. [ MUSIC

Just hours before she shot and wounded three people at YouTube headquarters, Nasim Aghdam calmly told police who found her sleeping in her car that she was having family problems and had left her home.

During the 20-minute interview with officers early Tuesday, she did not mention being angry with YouTube or having accused the company of suppressing her video posts. She gave no indication she was a threat to herself or others.

"It was a very normal conversation. There was nothing in her behavior that suggested anything unusual," said Mountain View Police Chief Max Bosel.

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Later that day, she went to a gun range before walking through a parking garage into a courtyard at YouTube's campus south of San Francisco, where she opened fire with a handgun and wounded three people. She then killed herself.

This undated photo provided by the San Bruno Police Department shows Nasim Aghdam. Law enforcement officials have identified Aghdam as the person who opened fire with a handgun, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, Calif.
San Bruno Police Department via AP
This undated photo provided by the San Bruno Police Department shows Nasim Aghdam. Law enforcement officials have identified Aghdam as the person who opened fire with a handgun, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, Calif.

The sequence of Aghdam's activities emerged Wednesday as police continued gathering information about the attacker and her motives.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched two Southern California homes where Aghdam had lived. Spokeswoman Ginger Colbrun would not confirm the locations but reporters saw agents entering homes in the communities of Menifee, southeast of Los Angeles, and 4S Ranch, north of San Diego.

Aghdam was a "really good person" and had no history of mental illness, said a woman named Leila who identified herself as an aunt as she entered the family home in Menifee. She did not give her last name.

The shooter's family later distributed a statement outside the home saying it was "in absolute shock and can't make sense of what has happened."

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"Although no words can describe our deep pain for this tragedy, our family would like to express their utmost regret, sorrow for what has happened to innocent victims," the statement said.

Investigators do not believe Aghdam, who was in her late 30s, targeted anyone in particular, and there is no reason to believe she illegally obtained the semi-automatic 9mm pistol used in the shooting, San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini said.

Authorities are still trying to determine whether she got past security measures to enter YouTube headquarters, he said.

Two women wounded in the shooting were released Wednesday from a San Francisco hospital. The third victim, a 36-year-old man, was upgraded from critical to serious condition.

The day before the attack, the shooter's father, Ismail Aghdam, said he warned police that his daughter was upset with how YouTube handled her videos and might be planning to go to its offices.

Aghdam "hated" YouTube and was angry that the company stopped paying her for videos she posted, Ismail Aghdam told the Bay Area News Group. Her video posts included segments about veganism, animal cruelty and exercise, along with glamor shots of herself.

Police in Mountain View said they spoke to Ismail Aghdam twice after contacting the family to report finding his daughter and that he never told them she could become violent or pose a threat to YouTube employees.

When officers found Nasim Aghdam, she was in her car near a strip mall in Mountain View, about 25 miles from YouTube and home to the company's owner, Silicon Valley giant Google. She told Mountain View police who spoke to her around 2 a.m. Tuesday that she had come to the area to stay with relatives and was looking for a job, police said.

They let her go, saying there was no indication she needed to be detained.

Later in the day, she went to a gun range not far from the YouTube headquarters. Police visited the range Wednesday.

WATCH LIVE: San Bruno PD Officials Provide Update On Shooting At YouTube Headquarters

Nasim Aghdam used the name "Nasime Sabz" online, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the case.

A website in that name decried YouTube's policies and said the company was trying to "suppress" content creators.

"Youtube filtered my channels to keep them from getting views!" one of the messages on the site said. "There is no equal growth opportunity on YOUTUBE or any other video sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to!!!!!"

People who post on YouTube can receive money from advertisements that accompany their videos, but the company "de-monetizes" some channels for reasons including inappropriate material or having fewer than 1,000 subscribers.

YouTube had no immediate comment about any actions related to Aghdam's videos.

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