Elliot Rodger could not be stopped because 'being sad is not a crime'

Elliot Rodger could not be stopped because &#039;being sad is not a crime&#039;

(Image credit: David McNew/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

In the wake of the Isla Vista shooting on Friday that left six people dead and 13 injured, the Los Angeles Times offers thoughtful analysis on why 22-year-old alleged shooter Elliot Rodger was able to avoid police intervention.

Rodger, his family says, was somewhere on the autism spectrum. And yes, he had been in therapy since he was a child. He had also become increasingly isolated after his 18th birthday, rejecting the mental health care his family provided. And yes, he was even recently questioned by police after an altercation with UC Santa Barbara students that left him with an injured ankle. But officials say there was nothing about the incident that would have prompted authorities to follow up with Rodger. And therein lies the problem.

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Lauren Hansen produces The Weekâ€™s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.

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