Tuesday at around 12:45 in San Bruno California a middle aged woman, Nasim Najafi Aghdam, attacked and wounded 3 employees at YouTube headquarters. A fourth employee was injured while fleeing but not shot. Aghdam shot and killed herself, ending the attack.
That is what we know.
Aghdam had a channel(s) on YouTube that was apparently being flagged and restricted in a manner similar to what firearms industry channels have been experiencing. She was a ‘Vegan Bodybuilder‘ of Iranian decent who appears to have a large social media footprint and used it extensively for business. Videos on other platforms, appearing to be Adhdam, level harsh criticism against the online video giant for the new policies silencing her voice and her platform for business.
“There is no equal growth opportunity on YOUTUBE or any other video sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to!!!!!” one post reads. “Youtube filtered my channels to keep them from getting views!” –CNN report
So the motives appear to be related to YouTube’s policies. No direct connection to any of the wounded appears to exist. Her family has stated they warned authorities of her vendetta against the company. A report of police making contact with Aghdam, sleeping in her car after being missing for 2 days, is also circulating.
If anyone believed only the firearms industry was experiencing the squeeze of YouTube’s new policies in some grand Anti-2A crusade… well…
Our support should be with the folks at YouTube HQ, no matter their corporate policy and changing platform. They were attacked. Aghdam shot three people who had never raised a hand against her in a building of 1,100 people who didn’t know her name and held her no ill will, they were just doing their jobs.
To anyone who believes that the employees in San Bruno in some way earned this fate because ‘YouTube had it coming’ as I’ve begun to see around the online space…
Check yourselves, immediately.