Toronto van killer was angry women wouldn't sleep with him

CBS News posted this image of Alek Minassian from a LinkedIn profile the news agency said belonged to the suspect

The Toronto van killer who murdered 10 pedestrians and injured several more when he plowed through crowds on a sidewalk Monday was a fan of Santa Barbara shooter Elliot Rodger and, like Rodger, he was angered that women wouldn't sleep with him.

Alek Minassian, 25, described himself as "involuntarily celibate" and praised Rodger, the shooter who railed against women in 2014 before stabbing, shooting and striking victims with his vehicle in Isla Vista, California.

Mass murderer Elliott Rodger killed six people and injured 14 more near the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2014 because, he said, women wouldn't sleep with him

On Tuesday, Minassian, who has Asperger's Syndrome, was charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 more counts of attempted murder.

Before his killing spree, Minassian had made Facebook posts referencing a a rebellion of "incels," or men who are "involuntarily celibate" because women will not sleep with them. After his killing spree, Facebook deleted Minassian's page.

In one post, Minassian, who has been described as a "socially awkward" tech expert, wrote in a post: "Private (Recruit) Minassian Infantry 00010, wishing to speak to Sgt 4 chan please. C23249161. The Incel Rebellion has already begun! We will overthrow all the Chads and Stacys! All hail the Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger!"

As far as the first portion of the post is concerned, Canada's Global News reported that Minassian was briefly in the Canadian Armed Forces last fall but was "asked to leave after 16 days of recruit training." This would explain why he refers to himself as a "private (recruit)" rather than simply a "private," which would indicate he has completed his military training.

"4chan" is an online imageboard where users can post anonymously in a forum that's similar to Reddit.

"Chads" is a term used to refer to men who are sexually active and attractive to women, and "Stacys" are the women who are attracted to and active with such men.

Rodger, the California shooter, was reportedly a 22-year-old virgin and a poster boy for so-called "incels." He killed six people and claimed the spree was a form of retaliation because women wouldn't have sex with him. Rodger stabbed three men, shot several women and men and struck several pedestrians with his BMW 328i coupe. He shot himself in the head after his attack.

"I'm 22 years old and I'm still a virgin. I've never even kissed a girl," Rodger stated in a video just before his killing rampage. "'College is the time when everyone experiences those things such as sex and fun and pleasure. But in those years I've had to rot in loneliness. It's not fair. You girls have never been attracted to me. I don't know why you girls aren't attracted to me. But I will punish you all for it."

Several times, Rodger said he planned to "punish" women and he outlined his plans for "retribution."

"I'm going to enter the hottest sorority house of UCSB and I will slaughter every single spoilt, stuck-up, blonde s--t that I see inside there," he said. "All those girls that I've desired so much, they would've all rejected me and looked down on me as an inferior man if I ever made a sexual advance toward them.

"I'll take great pleasure in slaughtering all of you. You will finally see that I am, in truth, the superior one."

As WND reported, police called Minassian's attack "deliberate" but haven't determined why he drove a rental van onto a sidewalk for up to a mile and struck a crowd of pedestrians before fleeing the scene in Toronto. Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has said he doesn't think Minassian's killing spree was an act of terrorism.

Similarly, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that authorities haven't learned of any national security threat in the wake of the attack. At a news conference, Trudeau said the situation "hasn't changed the overall threat level in Canada."

"We cannot, as Canadians, choose to live in fear every single day as we go about our daily business," Trudeau said. "The events that took place yesterday in Toronto were a senseless attack and a horrific tragedy. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my deepest heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of all those who were killed and we wish a full recovery to those injured and stand with the families and friends of the victims. All Canadians stand united with Toronto today."

Minassian is a former computer studies student of Seneca College in North York, Ontario, according to his LinkedIn profile. Former classmates told Canada's Globe and Mail that Minassian was socially awkward and had physical tics that caused him to tap his head and shake his hands. A former high school classmate said he attended classes for special needs students and often walked the hallways making meowing sounds.

Video footage of the arrest Monday appeared to show Minassian pointing an object at an officer when he was confronted by police. Some witnesses said they believed it was a cell phone.

No shots were fired during the apprehension. The following is a screenshot of a CBS report on the arrest:

Video footage from the scene shows police repeatedly ordering the suspect to "get down."

Minassian appears to shout back, "Kill me!"

The officer responds, "No, get down! Get down!"

As he walks toward the officer with one arm extended, Minassian states: "I have a gun in my pocket. ... Shoot me in the head."

Meanwhile, the identities of some of Minassian's victims are being released. One victim is Anne Marie D'Amico, who worked for the Invesco investment firm, which is located near the scene of the attack. Other victims include a Jordanian citizen and two people from South Korea. Seneca College also confirmed that one of its students died in the attack.

Minassian's next court hearing is scheduled for May 10.