'We didn't see this coming at all': Father of mass murderer tells of 'nightmare'

The father of the young man who last month killed six people in California before taking his own life has given his first interview since the tragedy. Filmmaker Peter Rodger told ABC News’ Barbara Walters that no one in his family had any indication that his son, Elliot, had violent intentions. Mr Rodger said: “When you go to sleep normally, you have a nightmare and you wake up and everything is ok. Now I go to sleep, I might have a nice dream and then I wake up and slowly the truth of what happened dawns on me and, you know, that is that my son was a mass murderer.”

Every night I go to sleep, I wake up and I think of those young men and young women that have died and who are injured and were terrorised and my son did that.

Peter Rodger, father of Elliot

Mr Rodger, who was assistant director on the Hollywood blockbuster Hunger Games, said he had no idea his son was violent. Rodger, 22, killed six people on May 23 and injured 13 more before turning the gun on himself in Isla Vista, California, near two universities. The killing spree began with Rodger stabbing three people at his apartment. He then drove around the city firing on people outside a sorority house and inside a delicatessen, before taking his own life.

There’s no way I thought that this boy could hurt a flea. I mean, this is the most unbelievable thing, Barbara, what I don’t get is we didn’t see this coming at all.

Peter Rodger, who was assistant film director on the Hunger Games

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