GOLETA, Calif. (AP) — A man whose son was among the victims killed in a shooting rampage near a California university quaked with grief and rage Saturday as he described his "lost and broken"
"Our son Christopher and six others are dead," Richard Martinez told reporters gathered outside a sheriff's station for a news conference the day after the shootings near the University of California, Santa Barbara, where the 20-year-old son was a sophomore. "You don't think it'll happen to your child until it does."
Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, of Los Osos, Calif., was the last of six people killed by suspect Elliot Rodger before the gunman apparently shot and killed himself, authorities said.
Martinez choked back tears as he spoke, then grew angrier as he talked about gun laws and lobbyists.
"The talk about gun rights. What about Chris' right to live?" Martinez said. "When will enough people say: 'Stop this madness! We don't have to live like this! Too many people have died!"
He then punctuated his words as he said, "We should say to ourselves: 'Not! One! More!'" before dissolving into tears and falling to his knees as he stepped from the podium.
Martinez said he talked to his son just 45 minutes before he died inside the IV Deli Mart, where bullet holes and blood could still be seen on Saturday. After already killing five others at his apartment and outside a sorority house, Rodger walked into the deli and shot Michael-Martinez, authorities said.
Michaels-Martinez was an English major who planned to go to London next year and to law school after graduation, his father said.
"Our son Christopher and six others are dead," Richard Martinez told reporters gathered outside a sheriff's station for a news conference the day after the shootings near the University of California, Santa Barbara, where the 20-year-old son was a sophomore. "You don't think it'll happen to your child until it does."
Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, of Los Osos, Calif., was the last of six people killed by suspect Elliot Rodger before the gunman apparently shot and killed himself, authorities said.
Martinez choked back tears as he spoke, then grew angrier as he talked about gun laws and lobbyists.
"The talk about gun rights. What about Chris' right to live?" Martinez said. "When will enough people say: 'Stop this madness! We don't have to live like this! Too many people have died!"
He then punctuated his words as he said, "We should say to ourselves: 'Not! One! More!'" before dissolving into tears and falling to his knees as he stepped from the podium.
Martinez said he talked to his son just 45 minutes before he died inside the IV Deli Mart, where bullet holes and blood could still be seen on Saturday. After already killing five others at his apartment and outside a sorority house, Rodger walked into the deli and shot Michael-Martinez, authorities said.
Michaels-Martinez was an English major who planned to go to London next year and to law school after graduation, his father said.
If I heard right on the news, his father notified authorities of a possible problem, he was evaluated and determined to be OK, appropriate people were forewarned, and nothing resulted from alarm. Why was the blame not put there? Someone apparently .... "dropped the ball." I can only imagine his grief ......
