A gunman opened fire at a Umpqua Community College in Douglas County, Oregon, killing nine and injuring at least 20 on Thursday morning. The shooter was killed in a standoff with police.
READ MORE: UCC shooting: Latest in long line of mass college campus killings
03 October 2015
The father of Chris Harper-Mercer said his 26-year-old son had to have had “some kind of issue” with his mental health to have collected such a large arsenal of weapons before going on a shooting rampage.
“How on earth could he compile 13 guns?” Ian Mercer told CNN.
Harper-Mercer's family made a statement saying that they are deeply shocked and saddened by the slaughter of innocent people.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific events that unfolded on Thursday October 1. Our thoughts, our hearts and our prayers go out to all of the families of those who died and were injured,” they said, according to a brief statement released on the behalf of the family by Oregon state police.
Authorities have confirmed that the Oregon gunman died as a result of suicide during the standoff with police.
According to Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin, the Oregon medical examiner determined that Christopher Harper-Mercer had killed himself.
02 October 2015
The Oregon medical examiner has identified the identity of the suspected gunman as Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer, a 26-year-old from Winchester, according to local KOIN News.
The outlet stated that the Harper-Mercer was enrolled at UCC in the class where the shooting occurred.
Classes are cancelled at Umpqua Community College for all of next week.
"I want to thank all of the people who showed up at the vigil who provided support for the families," Lance Colley, Roseburg City Manager said.
"What we're asking our community to do now is reflect on this, try to support the families, certainly support the college, support people they know affected by this."
"I particularly want you all to keep your family in your prayers," he said with his eyes filling with tears. "Please take an opportunity to recognize what a great community this is, and what a great response they made, thank you."
"I want to express my deep condolences for everyone affected," UCC Board of Trustees Chair Vanessa Becker said at the press conference.
Janet Holland, executive director of Community Health Alliance, said that he organization's mental health resources are available for anyone who needs assistance.
"I have been totally amazed by the outpouring of support from around the state," she said while visibly emotional.
"Turn off the media and take a break," she suggested. "It's important that we all take care of ourselves."
"I do want to make the clarification regarding the number of injured," Sheriff Hanlin said. "To repeat, we have nine injured, not seven, and the death toll remains at 10, which includes the shooter."
Sheriff Hanlin said that interviews are being arranged between the media and families by the police.
The family of Quinn Cooper, 18, wrote a statement.
"Quinn was going to take his brown belt test on October 10," it said. "I don't know how we're going to move forward without Quinn ... nobody should ever feel the pain that we are feeling."
Jason Johnson, who had recently enrolled in UCC and was a Christian.
In a press conference, the statements from families were read by members of the police.
"We have been trying to figure out to tell everyone how amazing Lucas was, but that would taking 18 years," Lucas Eibel's family wrote in a statement.
President Obama has said the solution to prevent further mass shootings lies in “political changes.” Addressing reporters in the White House press room, Obama called on the voters to also affect change. “You have to make sure that anybody you are voting for is on the right side of the issue,” the President said.
On his part, President Obama said that he had ordered his team to see what can be done in order to stop mass shootings. He admitted that the change “won’t happen overnight.”
Another one of the victims was Jason Johnson, 33. He had struggled with drug addiction, but completed a six-month rehabilitation program with the Salvation and enrolled in UCC to continue his education.
"He started Monday and he was so proud of what he had accomplished, and rightly so," his mother, Tonja Johnson Engel tearfully told NBC News. "The other day he looked at me and hugged me and said, 'Mom, how long have you been waiting for one of your kids to go to college?' And I said, 'Oh, about 20 years.'"
Lucero Alcaraz, a 19-year-old nurse trainee, is reported to be among the nine victims who were killed.
Two of the nine victims of the Umpqua Community College shooting have been named, and are Rebecka Carnes and Lucas Eibel.
US Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) said that one of the victims was the great-granddaugter of his first cousin.
"We will all be carrying in our hearts not only the pain, but the responsibility of what we can do," he said.
The sheriff said that he is unable to identify victims as of this time, because there are protocols in place and he must wait for the coroner's office to send that information.
The sheriff is a Second Amendment advocate, but said add the press cofnerence that "now is not an appropriate time" to talk about that.
Thirteen weapons related to the massacre were recovered, Celine Nunez of ATF Seattle Field Division told reporters.
Six were recovered at the school and seven were at the shooter's residence. They were all purchased legally, but not all were purchased by the shooter.
"You will not hear anyone from this law enforcement office mention his name," Hanlin said about the shooter. He added that media coverage of his name will only serve to glorify him.
There are mental health counselors at the Roseburg fairgrounds near the community college for the community to use.
"We have teams of investigators and specialists working with the families," Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said at a press conference.
"These families are living through a nightmare in the most personal way possible. I would ask the media to leave these families and let them grieve in their own ways."
Authorities say that Mercer left a note indicating that he was angry and depressed.
A law enforcement official said that Mercer was wearing body armor during the shooting, according to CNN.
Before the day of the massacre, Mercer is reported to have given a thumb drive and papers to a person on the UCC campus.
One of the guns found at the scene of the UCC shooting was reportedly not registered by the Chris Harper Mercer, the suspected gunman.
Mercer's family reacted to the massacre, and have expressed their shock about the person they knew and loved committing such an act.
"I am just as shocked as anybody at what happened today," Ian Mercer, the suspect's father, told CBS News.
Chris Harper Mercer specifically targeted Christians in his shooting, asking the faith of his targets before deciding to kill them.
Carmen Nesnick, the stepsister of the suspect, said this religious hatred came as a surprise, since the suspect was neither religious nor anti-religious.
Chris Mintz, a 30-year-old army veteran, was shot five times while trying to protect others from the gunfire. He survived, but is seriously injured.
Dr. Gray said that this was the first time for a local hospital to face such incident, but personnel was ready for that. " We received nationwide support," he said.
Four victims of the deadly shooting in Oregon, who are being treated for injuries, are expected to survive, Mercy Medical Center officials said, according to Reuters.
Dr. Jason Gray, Chief Medical Officer at Mercy Medical Center, says 10 people were admitted to his hospitals following the shooting, 1 died in ER. "Most patients were on a younger side," he said, when asked about the age of the patients.
Bagpipes and thousands of candles are present. A Fox 40 reporter described the vigil as quiet and sad.
A solitary trumpet played Taps at the vigil, attended by thousands. Family and friends chanted, "We are UCC."
"...We only know that we are called to come together as a community to banish fear, and affirm love," Oregon Governor Kate Brown said at the Roseburg vigil.
In solidarity with the people of Roseburg, 50 people attended a vigil in Portland, Oregon.
Several hundred people turned up for the vigil.
Big crowd gathered for the candlelight vigil in Stewart Park, Roseburg.
Douglas County Sheriff Hanlin said two heroic officers exchanged gunfire with the gunman.
"We have information that we know who the shooter is. The official id will come from the medial examiners officer. I will not name the shooter. I will not give him the credit he probably sought," Sheriff Hanlin told reporters.
On Harper Mercer's page the Irish Republican Army is mentioned twice - one newspaper cover that's displayed reads: "British army could not defeat IRA."
One of the images features six men with masks and guns, with a subtitle that reads: "Looking cool defending their country."
Harper Mercer's online presence is being scrutinized by various outlets, particularly chats he might have participated in 4chan, an image-based bulletin board. His Myspace page features a photo of a young man posing with a gun.
Federal authorities said the gunman is among the 10 people killed in a shooting at UCC, according to the Associated Press.
FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele declined to provide other information about the shooter.
Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said the shooter had died after exchanging gunfire with police.
"Families of the victims are our priority," said Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin.
01 October 2015
"This is a mass casuality event" Sheriff John Hanlin told reporters. "We don't anticipate releasing all the names of the victims for 24 to 48 hours. The law enforcement investigation into the shooter...is ongoing."
"This is an active investigation," Sheriff John Hanlin told reporters during a press conference. "We can confirm 10 fatalities, and seven additional injuries. Initially they were transferred to a local hospital, and three who were critically injured were transferred to another hopsital in the Eugene area."
Of the five victims still at Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg, KPTV is reporting that four are in surgery and one is "under treatment."
Presidential candidates are weighing in with statements about the shooting in Oregon. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) said the US needs sensible gun control, expanded mental health help and a toning down of gratuitous violence in media.
The Umpqua Community College website has been down since the shooting began.
Of the 20 people reportedly injured and taken to multiple area hospitals, 10 were taken to Mercy Medical, according to Fox 12. Five patients are there, three have been transferred and two have been released.
What we know so far is a mass shooting occurred Thursday morning with as many as 13 fatalities reported at Umpaqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Officials say upward of 20 people were shot. 911 dispatch reports said the suspect, a 20-year-old male. is dead, according to the Oregonian.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown has ordered all flags at half-staff until sundown Friday to honor victims of the shooting. A vigil will be held at the Douglas Fairgrounds amphitheater tonight, according to Fox 12.
The president appeared to be angry and deeply distressed when making his statements about the tragedy.
"Each time this happens, I am going to bring this up," Obama said, referring to his stance on gun control. "But I can't do it alone."
"I hope and pray I don't have to do this again ... but based on my experience as president, I can't guarantee that.
"May god bless those who lost their lives today... and may he give us the strength to come together and make change."
Obama said that the fact that other developed countries don't have the same frequency of massacres and have tougher gun laws means that gun laws work.
"The notion that gun laws don’t work … is not borne out by the evidence," the president said.
President Obama held a press conference at 6:20 on Thursday.
"I want to thank the first responders whose bravery likely saved some lives today," he said.
"Each time we see one of these mass shootings, our thoughts and prayers are not enough," the president said. "As I said just a few months ago and a few months before that, our thoughts and prayers are not enough."
"We don't yet know why this individual did what he did. It's fair to say that anybody who does this has a sickness in their minds," he continued.
"Somehow this has become routine. The reporting is routine. My response at this podum ends up being routine. We’ve become numb to this," President Obama said.
"It cannot be this easy for someone who wants to inflict harm on others to get his or her hands on a gun."
Police have not yet released details of the incident. However, a recording of police units speaking to a 911 dispatcher has been published online, showing law enforcements’ fast and coordinated response to the shooting.
“Next to the library there are about 35 people piled in. The campus center is on lock down,” a dispatcher is heard saying in the 30-minute long audio recording. Shortly afterwards, a police unit reported that a suspect was down. “We’ve got multiple gunshot wounds on the scene,” a police officer says. Later he is heard informing 911 that “we have upwards of 20 victims, approximately 15 are deceased” and requesting that they “dispatch as many ambulances as possible.” A few minutes later, police confirmed that 10 people had been killed in the college shooting.
Authorities recovered a rifle and three pistols from the scene of the shooting. It isn't clear if the weapons belonged to the suspect.
Based on the number of victims and total gunshot wounds, the number of shots fired is in the dozens or perhaps even in the hundreds, according to The Telegraph.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is attempting to trace the weapons.
UCC President Rita Cavin told reporters that children are being reunited with their parents.
"This is the saddest day in the history of the school," she said.
The college will be closed through Monday, October 5, and all weekend activities at the UCC will be cancelled.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton weighed in on the tragedy today, using the opportunity to talk about her ideas for gun control.
"It's just beyond my comprehension that we see this mass murders again and again," she told reporters.
"I know there is a way to have sensible control measures that help prevent violence, prevent guns into getting into the wrong hands and save lives."
President Barack Obama is schedule to make a statement about the shooting in less than half an hour.
Umpqua Community College is "the only higher education" in Douglas County, Sheriff Hanlin said. "Students are either in their first years in higher education or employees going back to school for various trades."
The school has about 3,300 full-time students and 16,000 part time students.
The gunman asked his victims to stand up and state their religion before he began shooting, a witness told the local News-Review newspaper.
Kortney Moore, 18, was in Snyder Hall when the shooter asked people to name their religion and then began firing, she told the paper.
Ms Moore also said she saw her professor shot in the head.
"All law officer responded immediately. Active shooter was engaged by police. We set up a command center.... and we're working through a family unification center," Superintendent Rick Evans said at a press conference.
The now-deceased shooter was a 20 year old male, Oregon Governor Kate Brown told reporters.
There is no indication that there is any other threat on campus. It's too early to say if anyone else is involved, the sheriff told reporters.
"There's no report of any of the officers being injured," Hanlin said.
The Oregon State Police provided Roseburg with a large amount of support, the sheriff also told reporters.
Officers engaged the shooter "somewhere near a classroom," the Sheriff Hanlin said. He added that the shooter fired on police officers.
"The shooter's threat was neutralized. Officers continued to sweep the campus for other possible shooters," said Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin. He confirmed that the shooter is deceased.
The FBI and the US Marshal Service are assisting with the investigation.
Eleven people were taken to Mercy Medical Center, two of whom died. Helicopter ambulances were used to evacuate the wounded as quickly as possible.
The shooting took place at Snyder Hall, according to a police dispatcher recording.
A shooting took place at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, one person was killed.
On Wednesday night, a thread on the message board 4chan was created, with someone posting an image with a gun and writing that foreshadowed the events of the next day with some detail.
“Some of you guys are alright. Don't go to school tomorrow if you are in the northwest,” the original poster said in his thread. “So long space robots,” he said, referring to users of the /r9k/ sub-board of the site where he posted. “Will post again in am, 10 min countdown. Won't say more to much to prepare.”
It is not confirmed that the shooter posted the thread, and users of the infamous board responded in various ways, with some being incredulous and others egging him on, perhaps under the impression that the thread was simply an outrageous joke.
Some users of 4chan are reported to be making fake Twitter accounts to falsely pin the shooting on someone, such as a well-known user of the board going by name “Eggman.”
By noon, students were being patted down and searched before being loaded on to buses to take them to the Roseburg fairgrounds.
Multiple casualties were reported by 11:30 a.m. local time, and the suspect was reported to have been in custody.
At 10:44 a.m., the Douglas Country Fire Department posted a tweet telling of an active shooter, warning people to stay away from the community college.
Twitter Kayla Marie first tweeted about the shooting and the ensuing chaos at 10:42 a.m. local time.