In his outstanding book, “Columbine,” journalist Dave Cullen showed “how legends become truths through continual citation.” A similar dynamic appears to be at work in the wake of Elliot Rodger’s brutal murder of six people Friday night in Isla Vista, Calif.

Myth: Rodger’s killing spree was motivated exclusively by his desire to harm women.

Elliot Rodger's California shooting spree: further proof that misogyny kills http://t.co/ZlYAtsDN1m My take on #uscb tragedy at @GuardianUS — Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) May 25, 2014

#YesAllWomen because the profound hatred of women by people like #ElliotRodger is literally killing us. http://t.co/fb2sLuttXH — Elizabeth Plank (@feministabulous) May 25, 2014

Sta Barbara shooting was hate crime vs women; @feministabulous explains how misogyny endangers everyone http://t.co/tFmuOSggbo #YesAllWomen — Indira Lakshmanan (@Indira_L) May 25, 2014

I wish people/media would call the Elliot Rodger's shooting what it is – a fucking hate crime. — bitter technologist (@dataports) May 25, 2014

Related myth: All six of the people killed by Rodger were female.

#YesAllWomen because six sorority girls were killed today and people are sympathizing with the murderer because he was a virgin — Christina (@tinarina24) May 25, 2014

https://twitter.com/MonicaFoster/status/470496974542602240

Some dude shot and killed six sorority girls because he couldn't get with them. Talk about sexual frustration. — Kailey (@shadesofdead) May 24, 2014

https://twitter.com/marinapuke/status/470464874410037248

https://twitter.com/Kayyydoll/status/470334315016884224

Santa Barbara Shooter Elliot Rodger Killed 6 Sorority Girls In Massacre — Video http://t.co/Fh8vLRnE6i — yenaldlooshi (@Yenaldlooshi) May 25, 2014

https://twitter.com/arialeaaa/status/470331709737562112

https://twitter.com/tierneymichele/status/470424576498102272

https://twitter.com/firelorde_/status/470412802042380288

@totesaHobbit some dude slaughtered six sorority girls at his campus as a part of a revenge against girls who rejected him campaign — moving to @fearfuns (@jackwynands) May 24, 2014

wait Elliot Rodger killed six sorority girls because he was a virgin and made creepy YouTube videos in his BMW listening to Cyndi Lauper wow — ernest baker (@ernestbaker) May 24, 2014

https://twitter.com/lilbritnuggs/status/470245793861881856

Fact: Rodger was an ultra-misogynist, but he also detested men, including his roommates and even his younger brother. Four of the six people he killed were male:

three yet-to-be-named men stabbed to death in Rodger’s apartment,

two sorority sisters (Veronika Weiss and Katie Cooper) shot and killed, and

one male clerk (Christopher Michael-Martinez) shot and killed at deli.

Rodger said he hated, and promised to kill, all sexually-active men. His issue wasn't misogyny. It was far broader than that. #YesAllWomen — Sampson (@jonathansampson) May 25, 2014

Some say Rodger hated men only insofar as they presented competition for affection from women:

Elliot Rodger only hated other men because he saw them as competition unworthy of having sex with women he believed he was entitled to. — Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 25, 2014

That theory, however, doesn’t explain Rodger’s utter contempt for his “geeky” male roommates, who likely were among those murdered in Rodger’s apartment.

* * *

Myth: Rodger used a gun to kill all of his victims.

https://twitter.com/jmags_/status/470440695078326272

Wtf at that guy who shot 6 girls cause he felt lonely — Finn (@JConcepcion7) May 25, 2014

https://twitter.com/elsie4b/status/470421478681636865

https://twitter.com/midlifecriSOS/status/470419741237338112

https://twitter.com/s_arahmoore/status/470414257340026880

https://twitter.com/MitchyRounds/status/470252098831933442

Disgusted to hear that a man shot 6 people largely because he was "friendzoned". This mentality is a danger to women's lives! #YesAllWomen — Allira Mahon (@markedlikecain) May 25, 2014

https://twitter.com/patriciaah_1/status/470276376977612800

Fact: Rodger stabbed to death half of his six murder victims.

https://twitter.com/jrsalzman/status/470409362910216192

* * *

Myth: Rodger was politically conservative.

https://twitter.com/BRios82/status/470464121972854784

https://twitter.com/Charchita/status/470217746555228160

Elliot Rodger was close to the entire rightwing package. – quickhits: A whiny one percenter with a massive… http://t.co/DgmKzpd63Y — An Endless War (@AEWforHumanity) May 24, 2014

Fact: Rodger subscribed to The Young Turks, a liberal YouTube channel. Imagine the outcry from the Left if Rodger had been a fan of Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck.

[Update]

Curiously, some Twitter users are claiming that Rodger was white:

Can we talk about the fact that Elliot Rodger was white, like the majority of school shooters? http://t.co/V2c7puipCc pic.twitter.com/CdcLwFeTLV — Elizabeth Plank (@feministabulous) May 25, 2014

https://twitter.com/mashrodionova/status/470517984113737728

https://twitter.com/endless__sea/status/470448835463217152

Since Elliot Rodger is white I'm sure the media will say he has Mental illness. If he was Black they'd call him thug and Muslim=terrorist — Mason (@Official_Lov) May 25, 2014

Elliot Rodger was a rich white kid therefore the "red flags" were overlooked and ignored. End of story. #CNN — Political Nerd (@Sttbs73) May 25, 2014

Elliot Rodger was straight, white, male, and wealthy…at the top of the class system and you're mad because certain women don't want you? — Yes. (@melodicdesire) May 24, 2014

If Elliot Rodger was a brown-skinned Muslim, his actions would be described as terrorism. But he's a white misogynist, so he's a loner. — Chris Nicholson (@EraseThisTweet) May 24, 2014

Rodger was in fact half white, half Chinese descent.