UCSB Student Injured in Shooting Sues Government and Shooters Parents

The young man with the most serious injuries from last year’s Isla Vista rampage has filed a civil lawsuit against several entities. Keith Cheung was one of several victims hurt when Elliot Rodger went on a rampage through Isla Vista last May, killing seven people. In his suit, Cheung claims he was handcuffed by sheriff’s deputies and denied immediate medical attention before being taken to the hospital.

Cheung was in Isla Vista riding his bicycle home from work he was struck by a black BMW driven by Rodger during the rampage.

The suit targets Santa Barbara County, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, UCSB and Rodger’s parents, alleging negligence, false imprisonment and civil rights violations.

He was one among several victims of Elliot Rodger, a mentally disturbed man who went on a shooting spree on May 23, 2014. Rodger fatally stabbed three men inside his apartment and then drove to a sorority house and shot three people, killing two women. He also shot a man to death in a convenience store.

The lawsuit alleges UCSB campus police and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s department failed to properly investigate Rodger after he released multiple videos on YouTube revealing that he could be a threat to those around him.

Cheung’s attorney’s argue that Mr. Cheung was denied immediate medical attention after he was handcuffed by local authorities before being transported to the hospital.

The complaint also accuses Rodger’s parents of negligently entrusting their son with a BMW vehicle, knowing he was mentally unstable.