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UCLA Shooter Had ‘Kill List,’ Linked To Second Shooting In Minnesota

By Jayce Wagner
Published on: 05:07 PST, Jun 2, 2016

The UCLA shooter responsible for Wednesday’s deadly murder-suicide has been identified by police as of this morning, and according to sources close to the investigation, the case has become much more complicated.

On Wednesday, Mainak Sarkar, a 38-year-old doctoral graduate, allegedly shot and killed a former professor, William Klug, before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life. This morning, the Los Angeles Police Department released the identity of the UCLA shooter alongside some troubling news: William Klug was not Sarkar’s only victim.

Alleged UCLA shooter Mainak Sarkar maintained, according to police, a “kill list” and after checking in on some of the people on that list, police sources confirm today that a woman on Sarkar’s list has been found dead in Sarkar’s home state of Minnesota. Police have not yet released her identity, but according to ABC News, local police have confirmed that an adult female, who was on Sarkar’s list, was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

“Upon arrival, officers located one adult female deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. Early indications are the shooting occurred prior to the UCLA event,” the Brooklyn Park police department said in a statement.

Also on alleged UCLA shooter Sarkar’s kill list was another UCLA professor, whom the LAPD have confirmed is alive and well. Police have not confirmed, however, precisely how many names are on the shooter’s “kill list.”

The LAPD are still putting together the pieces, trying to ascertain why William Klug was targeted by Mainak Sarkar, and why Sarkar maintained a “kill list” at all. Early reports suggest there was a sour relationship between the alleged UCLA gunman and Professor Klug. Police have obtained posts Sarkar had made on social media in the past few months, which strongly suggests a dispute of some sort between Klug and Sarkar.

“William Klug, UCLA professor is not the kind of person when you think of a professor. He is a very sick person. I urge every new student coming to UCLA to stay away from this guy. He made me really sick. Your enemy is my enemy. But your friend can do a lot more harm. Be careful about whom you trust,” wrote Mainak Sarkar back in March.

What fueled the dispute between Sarkar and Klug is unknown. Some have speculated that the two men were at odds over an alleged intellectual property dispute, but UCLA sources told the L.A. Times that such allegations were “untrue.”

“The idea that somebody took his ideas is absolutely psychotic,” the source told the L.A. Times.

According to the L.A. Times, Mainak Sarkar drove his gray Nissan Sentra from Minnesota to Los Angeles with two legally purchased semiautomatic handguns earlier this week. Police are reportedly still looking for the vehicle, and have released a description, including the license plate number, in hopes of finding Sarkar’s gray Nissan.

The alleged UCLA shooter had two notes on his person, police have confirmed, one of which was a list of names the police have called a “kill list” after confirming the shooting death of a woman in Sarkar’s home state of Minnesota.

Sarkar’s victim, William Klug, was described by friends and students as a kind and caring individual who was eager to help his students and reportedly went the extra mile to help Mainak Sarkar to finish his dissertation and graduate.

“Bill was extremely generous to [Sarkar], who was a subpar student. He helped him out and interceded for him academically,” said a UCLA source speaking with the L.A. Times.

In Sarkar’s doctoral dissertation, he even personally thanked Professor William Klug for his help and support.

“Thank you for being my mentor,” Sarkar wrote in the acknowledgements section of his dissertation.

[Photo by David McNew/Getty Images]

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