THE woman who shot three people before killing herself at YouTube’s California headquarters posted a bizarre series of videos in the lead-up to her gun rampage.

Nasim Aghdam opened fire with a handgun in an outdoor courtyard in the San Bruno building, wounding three people before turning her gun on herself.

Law enforcement officials had initially said the shooting was being investigated as a domestic dispute after early indications suggested she had shot her boyfriend.

IN DEPTH: What drives women to kill?

media_camera Nasim Aghdam posted a video tribute to her pet rabbit.

It has not yet been confirmed if this is the case.

San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini said three people were taken to hospitals in San Francisco with gunshot wounds.

A 36-year-old man was in critical condition, a 32-year-old woman was in serious condition and a 27-year-old woman was in fair condition following the shooting.

media_camera Nasim Aghdam in a photo provided by the San Bruno Police Department. media_camera The shooter posted a series of bizarre images on her personal website.

Aghdam was active on various social media outlets, where she had a number of channels in Farsi, Turkish and English, The New York Times reports.

Her last know address was in Menefee, a city in Southern California about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego.

media_camera Nasim Aghdam described herself as an animal rights activisit and vegan bodybuilder.

On YouTube, she published an eccentric set of videos, including music parodies and workouts, on topics like animal cruelty and vegan cooking.

In the videos, Aghdam displays dance moves and offers a guide to exercising.

One of the eerie videos was titled “In Memory of My Pet Rabbit”.

In February 2017, she recorded a video on Facebook criticising YouTube for taking measures that decreased the number of views on her videos.

media_camera A still from one of Nasim Aghdam’s workout videos.

According to ABC7, Aghdam has a website that targeted YouTube regarding censorship and demonetisation of her video content. The news site reported that she had many YouTube accounts, which had suffered a drop in audience numbers.

In a January 2017 video, Aghdam complained that YouTube “discrimated and filtered her content”, causing her to lose viewers, reports NBC.

media_camera Nasim Aghdam has been identified as the YouTube shooter. Picture: Facebook

Nasim’s father has told the Bay Area News Group that his daughter became angry at YouTube after it stopped paying her for video content she posted to the platform.

People who post original content to YouTube can receive payment for advertisements that run as their footage is streamed. But YouTube does ‘demonetise’ sights for various reasons, including copyright infringement, overt sexuality and extreme views.

Nasim recently posted a complaint about YouTube on Instagram:

“All my youtube channels got filtered by youtube so my videos hardly get views and it is called ‘merely relegation.’ This is also happening to many other channels on youtube. This is the peaceful tactic used on the internet to censor and suppress people who speak the truth and are not good for the financial, political … gains of the system and big businesses. I recently got filtered on Instagram too and maybe its related to youtube and youtube staff asked Instagram to filter me here too!!?”

media_camera One of Nasim Aghdam’s chilling posts. media_camera A picture of Nasim Aghdam from her personal web-page.

YouTube had “stopped everything,” and “she was angry,” Ismail Aghdam said in a telephone interview from his San Diego home.

He said that his family had called police yesterday to report his daughter missing after she had failed to answer her phone for several days. At 2am on the day of the shooting, police called family to say she had been found sleeping in her car.

Nasim’s father says he had warned police Nasim could be headed for YouTube headquarters as she “hated” the company.

media_camera Police run towards a YouTube office in San Bruno. Picture: AP/Jeff Chiu

MIXED MESSAGES

As more details about Nasim Aghdam become known, officials maintain that the motive for the shooting remains unclear.

“We know very, very little right now, and we probably won’t know more until tomorrow morning,” San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini said.

Contrary to earlier reports that suggested the shooting was related to a domestic dispute, it is unclear whether she knew her victims or not. CNN reports that two law enforcement officials said that she was believed to have known at least one victim, however CNET reports that she had no relationship with anyone at YouTube.

Aghdam allegedly opened fire with a handgun in an outdoor courtyard prompting terrified workers to run for their lives.

Barberini told reporters that three YouTube employees were shot during the incident.

The headquarters in San Bruno was placed on lockdown after police swarmed the area following reports of shots being fired.

media_camera Police put on tactical gear outside of the YouTube headquarters following an active shooter incident at YouTube headquarters. Picture: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP

Some 1100 people work at the San Bruno YouTube office. Employees include engineers for search, content channels and advertising placement. There are also sales team and content creator units.

The sound of people running for their lives sounded like an earthquake, police said.

media_camera YouTube staff stand outside the building with their hands up after evacuating their office amid reports of an active shooter. Picture: Twitter

‘I SAW BLOOD DRIPS ON THE FLOOR AND STAIRS’

Witnesses have described the scenes of terror in the aftermath of the gun attack.

A YouTube employee says the fire alarm went off and workers didn’t realise it was an active shooting.

Senior software engineer Zach Vorhies said he and others were calmly leaving the building when he saw a shooter in a courtyard yelling, “Come at me, or come get me”.

Vorhies said he froze, then noticed a victim on his back with what looked like a gunshot wound to his stomach.

Vorhies says an officer with an assault rifle then came through a security door.

As the situation unfolded, another worker Vadim Lavrusik tweeted: “Active shooter at YouTube HQ. Heard shots and saw people running while at my desk. Now barricaded inside a room with co-workers.”

Active shooter at YouTube HQ. Heard shots and saw people running while at my desk. Now barricaded inside a room with coworkers. — Vadim Lavrusik (@Lavrusik) April 3, 2018

Another worker, Erin Jean, reported that a “SWAT [team] has arrived on site” and that and her co-workers saw “a negotiator go in”.

YouTube product manager Todd Sherman said they were sitting in a meeting when they heard people running and felt the floor rumbling. “First thought it was an earthquake,” he wrote on Twitter.

“We headed towards the exit and then saw more people and someone said that there was a person with a gun.”

We are seeing @YouTube employees being brought out with hands up! pic.twitter.com/ZlSMY9FIVm — Erin (@erinjeanc) April 3, 2018

Police activity at 901 Cherry Ave, please stay out of the area. pic.twitter.com/H6iAj0g7ra — San Bruno Police (@SanBrunoPolice) April 3, 2018

“At that point every new person I saw was a potential shooter. Someone else said that the person shot out the back doors and then shot themselves,” he wrote.

He said he saw blood on the floors and stairs.

He posted: “I looked down and saw blood drips on the floor and stairs. Peaked around for threats and then we headed downstairs and out the front.”

KPIX 5 reporter Andria Borba said one witness, a YouTube software engineer, saw a man on the ground in the courtyard with an apparent bullet wound to the stomach.

We were sitting in a meeting and then we heard people running because it was rumbling the floor. First thought was earthquake. https://t.co/gmolQmRXm1 — Todd Sherman (@tdd) April 3, 2018

Will Hudson said a friend who works for YouTube texted him about the shooter. “I think there might be a shooter in my building,” read one text. “The fire alarm went off so we started to evacuate and then people (started) running saying there was a shooter.” Hudson said the friend made it safely back to San Francisco and was in contact with his family. Hudson said he’s become used to hearing about gun violence but has never been so close to it before.

“It just feels strange. It feels like it could really be anyone. That’s really the strangeness of it,” he said.

Press Release regarding YouTube incident - https://t.co/4fZtzVQ3Aq

Additional press conference will take place at 4:30pm. pic.twitter.com/nHwZMuOfl3 — San Bruno Police (@SanBrunoPolice) April 3, 2018

A passing Uber driver has told the Los Angeles Times how he crowded as many people into his car as possible to get them away from the scene: “I just opened the door and asked if they needed help. I was getting people away from YouTube. At one point I had seven people in the car.”

media_camera A person is searched as police respond to reports of a shooting at YouTube headquarters. Picture: KGO-TV via AP

Another witness, who was buying a hamburger across the street from the YouTube offices, said he heard three gunshots in rapid succession. Identifying himself only as “Jesse”, he said he saw a young woman stagger out of the office with a leg wound. He said he helped drag her into the cafe as he heard more gunshots ringing out from within the office complex.

He said he then ran back to the YouTube building and looked through the doorway.

He saw a woman lying on the foyer floor.

media_camera Law enforcement stands outside of the YouTube headquarters after a shooting that left at least one person dead. Picture: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP

“She was dead, I’m sure of it,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Those 10 shots were rapid fire — it was no mercy. There were four more shots after that. I wish I had had a gun but I didn’t. I had to be smart and get out of there. I had to be fast.”

An employee of the cafe, Michael Finney, 21, said he applied first aid to the shot woman.

“She was pretty calm,” Finney told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I got a bungee cord and tied it around her leg to stop the bleeding. I asked her why someone would shoot her and she said she didn’t know.”

Still a lot happening here as The Forensic team has arrived #YouTubeShooting pic.twitter.com/pSJ3kNcICa — Erin (@erinjeanc) April 3, 2018

Images posted on social media showed YouTube employees being evacuated from the building with their hands above their heads. Officers patted down people to make sure none had weapons, and police vehicles surrounded the area.

INJURED RUSHED TO HOSPITAL

Suckerberg San Francisco General Hospital received three people from the YouTube shooting. Spokesman Brent Andrew says a 36-year-old man was in critical condition, a 32-year-old woman was in serious condition and a 27-year-old woman was in fair condition.

media_camera Police walk outside of the YouTube headquarters. Picture: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP

Hospital surgeon Dr Andre Campbell spoke to media about the condition of the three victims, saying he was not expecting any more. “You would think that after the Las Vegas and Pulse nightclub shooting we’ve seen the end to this, but we haven’t.”

No surgery is yet required for any of the three patients, Dr Campbell said, adding all were awake. They are “shocked like we are,” he said.

A fourth person was taken to a local hospital with an ankle injury from fleeing the scene.

The White House said US President Donald Trump had been briefed on the situation.

He later Tweeted:

Was just briefed on the shooting at YouTube’s HQ in San Bruno, California. Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody involved. Thank you to our phenomenal Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders that are currently on the scene. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 3, 2018

Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted his condolences to the YouTube and Google teams.

From everyone at Apple, we send our sympathy and support to the team at YouTube and Google, especially the victims and their families. — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 3, 2018

In response, Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey tweeted: “We can’t keep being reactive to this, thinking and praying it won’t happen again at our schools, jobs, or our community spots. It’s beyond time to evolve our policies.”

Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, tweeted a statement that read:

“Earlier this afternoon, while our employees were having lunch, we received reports of an active shooter at YouTube in San Bruno. Law enforcement and our Security team worked to evacuate the buildings and prioritise the safety of everyone there.

He went on to say that the situation was contained and that the company is working with authorities and hospitals. He said Google was doing all it could to support the victims and their families.

“I know a lot of you are in shock right now. Over the coming days, we will continue to provide support and help everyone in our Google family heal from this unimaginable tragedy.”





There are no words to describe the tragedy that occurred today. @SusanWojcicki & I are focused on supporting our employees & the @YouTube community through this difficult time together. Thank you to the police & first responders for their efforts, and to all for msgs of support. — Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) April 3, 2018

While YouTube’s CEO Susan Wojcicki tweeted: “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.”

Last month, YouTube announced it would ban content promoting the sale of guns and gun accessories as well as videos that teach how to make guns.

Female mass shooters are rare. A recent Washington Post analysis shows only three out of 150 US shootings with more than four victims since 1966 were done by women.

If you or anyone you know needs support call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or visit Lifeline.org.au

— with The Sun



Originally published as YouTube shooter’s creepy videos