YouTube shooting: what we know so far

A female shooter entered YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California, yesterday and wounded three employees before turning the gun on herself. She died at the scene. Nasim Aghdam, a 39-year-old animal rights activist, was reportedly angry at the site for limiting the number of views on her multiple personal YouTube channels.

The father of yesterday’s YouTube shooter reportedly warned police of his daughter’s anger towards the video-sharing website.

Her website, NasimeSabz.com, contains posts such as, “This video got age-restricted after new, close-minded YouTube employees got control of my Farsi channel and began filtering my videos to reduce views and to suppress and discourage me from making videos”. Aghdam also criticized the lack of financial return she was getting from YouTube, insisting that “there is no equal growth opportunity”.

According to San Bruno’s local news station, KRON 4, Aghdam arrived at the office with a handgun shortly after midday. It seems employees were enjoying lunch on the patio when she took fire, leading to numerous 911 calls.

Reports suggest that a man, presumed to be the shooter’s boyfriend, is in a critical condition in San Francisco General Hospital. Two wounded women were also taken to hospital for medical attention, though their conditions are not life-threatening.

It’s alleged the shooter’s father, Ismail Aghdam, told the Associated Press that he warned police of a potential shooting. He reported his daughter missing earlier this week when she wouldn’t answer his phone calls and he informed police of her anger towards YouTube.

President Donald Trump thanked San Bruno’s emergency services on Twitter, saying, “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.”

Photograph: Google Maps