The UCLA Shooting Incident: A Chronicle of Tragedy and Response

On June 1, 2016, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus became the site of a tragic murder-suicide that claimed the lives of two individuals. The incident, which unfolded in a School of Engineering building, sent shockwaves through the university community and beyond, prompting a massive police response and raising questions about campus security and mental health.

The Incident

The events of that day culminated in the deaths of William Scott Klug, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Mainak Sarkar, a former Ph.D. student at UCLA. Sarkar, the gunman, took Klug's life before taking his own.

Immediately after the shooting, Christopher Lynch, an aerospace and mechanical engineering professor who heard the gunshots, went to Klug's office and held the door shut, after which he heard another shot and then silence. Another professor said she heard someone fall after the last shot. Lynch later said that he did not feel the gunman try to open it but suspected the gunman heard yells for the hallway to be cleared out and that police were called in.

The Victims

William Scott Klug

William Scott Klug (June 19, 1976 - June 1, 2016) was a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UCLA. He received an undergraduate degree at Westmont College, a Christian liberal arts college, in 1998, and master's degree and Ph.D. Klug was remembered as a dedicated and caring faculty member, a respected researcher, and a devoted family man. He was married with two children, a son and a daughter.

Mainak Sarkar

Mainak Sarkar, born in Durgapur, West Bengal, India, had a complex academic history. He enrolled in St. Michael's School in 1984. A schoolteacher working there described Sarkar as "an ordinary boy. Very quiet. Extremely well behaved and obedient. Never causing any trouble to anyone." The teacher also said that Sarkar left the school to attend the nearby Durgapur Bidhan Chandra Institute. He came to the United States in 2001 on a student visa to pursue graduate studies. He first attended Stanford University from 2003 to 2005, graduating with a master's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. Sarkar then attended UCLA's engineering school from the fall of 2007 to the summer of 2013, graduating with a Ph.D. After graduating from UCLA, he had been employed remotely as an engineering analyst for a rubber company in Ohio.

The Investigation

Initial Response and Lockdown

Based on initial reports of the shooting, authorities mistook it for an attempted mass shooting, prompting a massive police response. School officials put the campus on lockdown as hundreds of UCLA and LAPD officers, including SWAT officers, and officers of other agencies searched the area. A nearby hospital and three elementary schools were also put on lockdown.

Discovery of Sarkar's Car and "Kill List"

On June 3, two days after the shooting, the gunman's car was discovered by a bicyclist, parked in a residential area in Culver City, California, located about six miles southeast of the UCLA campus. It contained multiple containers of gasoline and an additional handgun. Police theorized that the containers were used to refuel the car during the gunman's drive from Minnesota to Los Angeles. They also theorized that the gunman parked in Culver City, where he had lived at one time, and took a bus that he regularly used to get to UCLA during his attendance there.

A search of Sarkar's residence in St. Paul, Minnesota, turned up a "kill list" that included the name of the woman found dead nearby, as well as the name of the other UCLA professor, who was not harmed. Police believe that Sarkar came to the Los Angeles area very recently, within the last couple of days. He went there to kill two faculty from UCLA. Sarkar, 38, had been armed with two 9mm pistols and multiple ammunition clips.

The Motive

The attack appeared to be provoked by Sarkar's belief that Klug had stolen computer code from him, according to a March blog post that appears to be written by him. "Your enemy is my enemy. But your friend can do a lot more harm," the post said. Reuters was not able to confirm the authenticity of the blog. UCLA says there is no truth to this.

Beck said UCLA faculty members were aware that Sarkar, who had graduated in 2013, harbored anger towards them. "There was some harsh language but certainly nothing that would be considered homicidal," Beck said, referring to social media postings by Sarkar. His motive for killing the woman was unclear, Beck said.

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Detectives are piecing together Sarkar’s movements in the Midwest and what led up to the murder-suicide that sent thousands of UCLA students racing for cover and holing up in classrooms. They believe that Sarkar killed the woman, then drove to Los Angeles in his gray, 2003 Nissan Sentra. Authorities are attempting to determine whether the weapon used in Los Angeles was connected to the Brooklyn Park shooting.

Ashley Hasti's Death

Ashley Erin Hasti, Sarkar's estranged wife at the time of her murder, was found dead at her Brooklyn Park, Minnesota home. Police found a broken window at the home, which they believe Sarkar used to break into the house. Hasti was found the day following the shooting at UCLA after police in Los Angeles notified police in Minnesota of a note Sarkar left in his car asking authorities to check on his cat left at his home in St. Hasti graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in Asian languages and literature. She completed a post-baccalaureate pre-med program at Scripps College in Claremont, California, from 2009 to 2010. At the time of her death, Hasti was a medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where she had been enrolled since 2012.

The Aftermath and Response

Campus Security Review

On June 8, a week after the shooting, UCLA announced the launch of a task force that would review the university's response to the incident, as well as a security analysis of the campus. The task force would later recommend "more frequent staff and student emergency-response training, more wardens to conduct emergency drills and a requirement that all faculty, staff and students provide cellphone numbers to the school so they could receive emergency-alert text messages."

The issue was previously brought up during deadly mass shootings at Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook Elementary School, where students and teachers also had to improvise to keep the doors to classrooms closed. While the school was in lockdown, people at many locations found it difficult to shelter in place, as few of the doors had locks. As a result, some students resorted to creative mechanisms to keep the doors closed. Scott Waugh, the school's executive vice-chancellor and provost, said the university will review its active-shooter protocols.

UCLA Institute on Campus Violence

On June 10, UCLA students and campus leaders also called for more research into the increase of gun violence in American schools, and announced its intention to create the UCLA Institute on Campus Violence.

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Resuming Normal Operations

UCLA officials say classes will resume Thursday, while final exams and commencement will continue as scheduled. "We want to resume normal operations as quickly as possible, so we will resume scheduled classes tomorrow morning," UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Scott Waugh said. "Faculty, staff and students should show up tomorrow and go through their regular routines and complete the quarter as planned."

Community Mourning

The UCLA community mourned the loss of William Klug. "Our entire UCLA family is mourning the loss of Professor Klug, a respected, dedicated and caring faculty member," Gene Block, the university's chancellor, said in a statement. "At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Professor Klug's wife, Mary Elise, his two children, and his extended family, friends and colleagues."

Lessons Learned

The UCLA shooting incident served as a stark reminder of the potential for violence on college campuses and the importance of proactive safety measures. The university's response, including the security review and the creation of the Institute on Campus Violence, reflected a commitment to learning from the tragedy and creating a safer environment for students, faculty, and staff.

The incident also highlighted the need for increased awareness of mental health issues and the importance of providing support and resources to individuals who may be struggling. The circumstances surrounding Mainak Sarkar's actions underscored the complexities of mental illness and the potential for devastating consequences when individuals do not receive the help they need.

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