SAN BRUNO, Calif. _ In one video, Nasim Najafi Aghdam refers to herself as a "ninja" before making a series of odd, stunted motions spliced between clips from the reality series "America's Got Talent." In another video, she sports a blond pixie-cut wig while mocking people who choose to eat meat.
Police are still trying to determine exactly what led the 39-year-old San Diego woman to bring a gun to YouTube's San Bruno headquarters _ where she shot and wounded three people Tuesday before killing herself _ but law enforcement sources have said investigators are exploring the possibility that Aghdam believed YouTube was suppressing views of her videos.
Few of Aghdam's videos remain available online, as her Facebook and Instagram accounts were deactivated within hours of the shootings. Her personal website, titled "Nasime Sabz," and a LinkedIn account in her name also vanished. Aghdam's YouTube account had been shut down "due to multiple or severe violations" of the company's policies, but it was unclear when that ban took effect.
Nearly four dozen of Aghdam's videos remained viewable on the website Daily Motion until they were removed Wednesday morning. The footage is a strange pastiche of parody clips, workout videos and vegan recipe suggestions, many of which are flagged by a warning not to steal her content.
Pulsing electronic music plays in the background of several of the clips, as Aghdam stares expressionless at the camera, almost giving off the vibe of a nervous karaoke performance. She sometimes refers to herself as a "vegan athlete" before flexing muscles and launching into a series of pushups, and dances in another wearing a sheep mask in front of a picture of a frowning cow before the words "Go Vegan, Go Healthy & Humane" appear across the screen.
In a screed posted to a website that has become a subject of the investigation, Aghdam complained that YouTube employees had purposefully limited the number of people who viewed her videos, and criticized the practice of paying for "likes" and views on other social media platforms like Instagram.
"There is no equal growth opportunity on YOUTUBE or any other video sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to!!!!!" she wrote.
About two weeks ago, Aghdam vented to her family that YouTube had stopped compensating her for her videos, her father told the Bay Area News Group.
Ismail Aghdam said the family had called police Monday to report his daughter missing because she hadn't answered her phone for two days. He said he had told police she might be going to YouTube because she "hated" the company.
Mountain View, Calif., police made contact with Aghdam early Tuesday, when they found her sleeping in a car. But police did not perceive her as a threat.
"At no time during our contact with the woman did she indicate that she was a threat to herself or to others," Mountain View Police spokeswoman Katie Nelson said in an email Tuesday.
The missing persons report was filed with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, according to a spokesman for the San Diego Police Department. The Sheriff's Department did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.
Early Wednesday morning, agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms andExplosives had arrived at Aghdam's home in Riverside County, according to a report by ABC. San Bruno police were scheduled to hold a news conference about the shooting on Wednesday.
