Advertisement

YouTube shooting: Police investigate suspect’s videos to piece together motive

Click to play video: 'YouTube shooting suspect seen ranting over censorship in video posted online'
YouTube shooting suspect seen ranting over censorship in video posted online
WATCH: YouTube shooting suspect seen ranting over censorship in video posted online – Apr 4, 2018

The suspected shooter that opened fire at YouTube’s headquarters in California on Wednesday was a vegan blogger who accused the platform of discrimination, according to her online profile.

Police said 38-year-old Nasim Najafi Aghdam from San Diego was behind the shooting in Silicon Valley, wounding three people before turning the gun on herself. Investigators do not believe Aghdam specifically targeted the three victims and still are looking for a motive.

However, police are investigating a series of YouTube videos and blogs detailing Aghdam’s long dispute with the platform, according to the Los Angeles Times.

She was a frequent YouTube user and it’s reported that she ran multiple channels. The channels, which have since been deactivated, included an array of videos on subjects like personal fitness, veganism and animal cruelty.

Story continues below advertisement

Her online profile shows she was a vegan activist who ran a website called NasimeSabz.com, in which she posted about Persian culture and veganism, as well as long passages critical of YouTube, saying the company “suppressed” her content.

WATCH: Family of YouTube HQ suspected shooter say they reached out to police with concerns about anger

Click to play video: 'Family of YouTube HQ suspected shooter say they reached out to police with concerns about anger'
Family of YouTube HQ suspected shooter say they reached out to police with concerns about anger

“She posted a lot… and she alleged YouTube changed their algorithm and all of a sudden her viewership went down, the money she was making went down,” Ross McLean, a security expert said.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“That’s why she was upset. But what is the reason for going into kill? That we’re going to find out is going to be something different, if there is a degree of mental illness or other stressors in her life.”

In one video posted in January 2017, Aghdam alleged YouTube was discriminating her.

Story continues below advertisement

WATCH: Officials learning more about YouTube shooting suspect Nasim Aghdam as 911 calls released

Click to play video: 'Officials learning more about YouTube shooting suspect Nasim Aghdam as 911 calls released'
Officials learning more about YouTube shooting suspect Nasim Aghdam as 911 calls released

“I’m filtered on YouTube, and I’m not the only one. So recently they also attacked my Persian channel Nasime Sabz, and if you go and check my videos you’ll see that my new videos hardly get views, and my old videos that used to get many views, stopped getting views,” she said in one of the videos posted in January 2017.

READ MORE: Suspected YouTube shooter ‘hated’ the company, angry over video postings, family says

Story continues below advertisement

“This is because I’m being filtered. And another thing, they age-restricted my ab workout video.”

In one online rant, she complained that YouTube censored her content by imposing an age restriction on one of her workout videos because they were too racy.

Aghdam “hated” YouTube and was angry that the company stopped paying her for videos she posted on the platform, her father, Ismail Aghdam, told the Bay Area News Group.

“There is no equal growth opportunity on YOUTUBE or any other video sharing site,” she wrote. “Your channel will grow if they want to!”

— With files from the Associated Press and Reuters 

Sponsored content

AdChoices