Identity of gunman in California shootings confirmed as Elliot Rodger: sheriff

(Reuters) - The gunman in the Isla Vista, California, shootings has been identified as Elliot Rodger, a 22-year-old student at a city college who had three previous contacts with local law enforcement, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown told reporters on Saturday. The gunman drove through Isla Vista in a black BMW, shooting at people in the beachside community where many college students live. Seven people died in the rampage, including the suspect who was found dead inside of a crashed vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head, authorities said. (Reporting by Bill Trott, Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)