YouTube shooter’s family release statement amid police response that they were NOT ‘warned’ about the suspect

Authorities in Mountain View who spoke to the family of the alleged YouTube shooter said that her family gave no warning about the woman accused of going to the YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California, where she reportedly shot three people, then herself.

“At no point during that conversation did either Aghdam’s father or brother make any statements regarding the woman’s potential threat to, or a possible attack on, the YouTube campus,” San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini told ABC7.

The officer’s statement came after the family of 39-year-old shooting suspect Nasim Aghdam, indicated that they warned police that she had a vengeance toward YouTube. The family later wrote a statement (see below) to KNX1070 offering condolences to the victims and expressing their shock over the situation.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, the family of the reported YouTube shooter was apparently worried that she would do something sinister. They claimed they called police prior to Tuesday’s shooting at the YouTube headquarters in California and warned authorities beforehand.

The Mercury News reports that Ismail Aghdam said he called police on Monday and warned them that his daughter, 39-year-old Nasim Aghdam, had been missing for days and that she may be heading to YouTube. He claimed his daughter had a deep hatred for the company after she accused them of censoring her videos, which in turn reportedly made her earnings decrease.

Mountain View Police located the suspect on Tuesday morning at around 2 a.m., sleeping in her car. They called the family and informed them that she was safe and the situation was under control. Police also reportedly told the family they would “keep an eye” on her.

“Our officers made contact with the woman after the license plate of her vehicle matched that of a missing person out of Southern California,” Mountain View Police spokeswoman Katie Nelson told The Mercury News. “The woman confirmed her identity to us and answered subsequent questions. At the conclusion of our discussion, her family was notified that she had been located.”

Nasim’s brother, Shahran Aghdam, said the family moved to California from Iran in 1996. Nasim was was living with his grandmother in San Diego prior to the shooting and frequently complained about YouTube.

“She was always complaining that YouTube ruined her life,” Shahran said.

San Bruno police Chief Ed Barberini told “Good Morning America” on Wednesday that he didn’t know if officers knew about the concerns regarding YouTube when they found Nasim in her car.

“We know that she was reported missing by her family in San Diego on the 31st of March, and that she was located in a community about 30 miles south of us early Tuesday morning. I don’t know what concerns were conveyed to that police department, or how or where those concerns were relayed to. So that is something we’re looking into.”

What We Know About the Shooter

Nasim, an animal rights advocate and vegan, blamed “close-minded” YouTube employees for restricting her videos which ultimately hurt her monetization. Police indicated that shewas not an employee of YouTube, but instead worked for her father’s electrical company.

Police said Nasim opened fire in the outside courtyard area of YouTube headquarters at 901 Cherry Ave. in San Bruno, California, on Tuesday afternoon, wounding three people with gunshot wounds before turning a handgun on herself. A fourth person was injured during the incident but wasn’t shot.

While the suspect died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the victims, as of Wednesday, are all alive. A 36-year-old male victim remains in critical condition at the San Francisco General Hospital, according to police spokesperson, Brent Andrew. Two women, ages 32 and 27, are also at the hospital, with the 32-year-old listed in critical condition. The 27-year-old is listed in fair condition.

Despite earlier witness statements indicating that the suspect shot at an alleged boyfriend, authorities said they’ve found no evidence that she had a boyfriend at YouTube and that none of the victims knew the shooter.

“At this time there is no evidence that the shooter knew the victims of this shooting or that individuals were specifically targeted,” police said.

Aghdam reportedly blamed YouTube for controlling her videos by placing age restrictions on her content. She claimed there was no “free speech” which ultimately prevented her from making money from her videos.

“There is no free speech in real world & you will be suppressed for telling the truth that is not supported by the system,”Aghdam wrote. “There is no equal growth opportunity on YOUTUBE or any other video sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to!!!!!!”

Almost of all the alleged shooter’s videos, which included content in English, Turkish, and Farsi, were removed by Tuesday evening. YouTube cited “multiple or severe violations” for taking the videos down. As part of YouTube’s policies, videos containing controversial material, profanity, or sexually suggestive content are at risk of being restricted and/or removed.

Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.

[Feature Photo: AP/Jeff Chiu]