Chris Rugg, a junior at the University of California, Santa Barbara who used to live with killer Elliot Rodger, said that he knew something was wrong with his former roommate. In an interview with ABC News, Rugg shockingly admitted that he was less surprised by Rodger's actions than he was disappointed in his own failure to step up and do something when he had the opportunity.
"I realized if I’m not surprised, that this is something that he would have done, then why did I not say anything?" he rhetorically asked during the interview. "I had my opportunity living [with] him when I knew things were up that I could have called in and it was my opportunity to help and I didn't."
According to Rugg, he moved out of the apartment that he shared with Rodger and another young man last June because living there became "really uncomfortable." Rugg added that he saw all of the warning signs, but "just didn't want to put [himself] out there," something he regrets deeply.
Rugg told ABC News that his other roommate was convinced Rodger had a gun because he could hear its clicking noise. "I didn't hear the clicks, but he said that he would click the gun over and over and the way the room is set up you could see the silhouette of everything that's going on there."
Rugg insists that if people see troubling signs like the ones Rodger exhibited, it's their duty to do something. "For situations like this, it’s a community’s responsibility to help these people before something like this happens," he said. He added that, in Rodger's case, "I guess we failed."
[via ABC News]
RELATED: Why Elliot Rodger Hated Women
RELATED: Drive-By Shooting Near UC Santa Barbara Leaves 7 Dead
RELATED: Memories of a Massacre: What We've Learned 15 Years After Columbine
RELATED: Read Transcript of Elliot Rodger's "Day of Retribution" Video
Send tips, photos and news developments to [email protected].
