George Chen, Cheng Yuan Hong, Weihan Wang, Katherine Cooper, Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez and Veronika Weiss died, and more than a dozen others were injured before Rodger fatally shot himself.
Since the shooting, the victims' families havefought for gun control.
“Their deaths have shattered our lives,” relatives of Cooper, Michaels-Martinez and Weiss wrote in a letter to state lawmakers in 2014, according to theLos Angeles Times. “Veronika, Katie and Christopher were smart and loving young adults, and we miss them [every day].”
The victims, as seen below, included an aspiring lawyer, two sorority sisters and three best friends.
Veronika Weiss.Facebook
Veronika Weiss, 19
Despite only being a freshman, Veronika made a lasting impression on her friends in her first year at UCSB. Remembered as “sweet and friendly,” she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.
A tomboy at heart, Veronika grew up loving sports. In high school, she joined the cross-country, swimming and water polo teams — all while earning straight As, her father, Bob Weiss,toldL.A. Times.
- Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Clickhereto get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Katie Cooper.Facebook
Katherine Cooper, 22
As a senior, Cooper was just weeks away from graduating. Like Veronika, she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.
Cooper grew up in Chino Hills, Calif., and former teachers described her as smart and unforgettable.
“She was one of 2,500 students I’ve taught over the years, but Katie was a standout,” one high school teacher toldL.A. Times.
Cooper was studying art history and archeology when she died.
Christopher Martinez.Facebook
Christopher Michaels-Martinez, 20
For Christopher, graduating from UCSB was not the end of his academic career. Not only did the California native, who was studying English, plan only graduating in three years with a high GPA, but he also planned to attend law school,NBC Newsreported.
“Chris was a really great kid,” his father, Richard Martinez, said at a news conference at the time of his son’s death. “Ask anyone who knew him. His death has left our family lost and broken.”
“Why did Chris die?” Richard added. “They talk about gun rights. What about Chris' right to live? When will this insanity stop? When will enough people say, ‘Stop this madness; we don’t have to live like this?'”
Weihan Wang.
Weihan Wang, 20
Before he was fatally stabbed, Weihan told his parents he wanted to move out of the apartment he, Rodger and Hong shared for the next school year, according toNBC Bay Area.
His parents told the outlet that Weihan was best friends with victims Hong and Chen but didn’t get along with Rodger.
At UCSB, Weihan studied computer programming. That summer, he’d planned on going home to the Bay Area to spend time with his family, visit Yellowstone National Park and celebrate his 21st birthday in July.
“What can I do without my son?” Jane Liu said of her only child,perL.A. Times. “My son, my whole life, I’m so proud of him.”
Cheng Yuan Hong.Facebook
Cheng Yuan Hong, 20
Hong was reportedly always nice to his fellow classmates and computer programmers.
“He was just a really smart guy,” one student who worked with Hong at a 24-hour programming marathon toldL.A. Times. “He gave us tips, and we just kind of talked.”
Hong was raised in Taipei, Taiwan, according to his Facebook page. He graduated from high school in San Jose, Calif.; lived with Rodger; and was one of the three men stabbed in their apartment.
“He was the kindest kid — so generous, so giving, always willing to help people out,” one student from his former high schooltold ABC7 News.
George Chen.Facebook
George Chen, 19
When he wasn’t with friends Hong or Weihan, Chen could be found giving back to the community. At college, Chen volunteered with the Buddhist-based organization Tzu Chi and sometimes helped elderly neighbors get their mail or take out their trash, theL.A. Timesreported.
“He was always very sweet and helpful,” his mother, Kelly Wang, told the paper. “He had always been a very smart kid.”
At a vigil held for Chen, Kelly spoke of how her son’s generous nature started early. In high school, she recalled, he would get to school an hour early every day to tutor fellow classmates and even volunteered at a computer camp for children one summer.
One woman who ran the camptoldL.A. Timesin June 2014,"[He was] so warm-hearted and so gentle."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “home” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
