US college shooting: Gunman identified

Mourners react during a vigil in Roseburg, Oregon on October 1, 2015, for ten people killed and seven others wounded in a shooting at a community college in the western US state of Oregon. The 26-year

• 10 confirmed dead, 7 injured by a lone male shooter
• The shooter, 26, is confirmed dead
• Law enforcement officials identified the gunman as 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer
• Authorities called to Umpqua Community College, about 290km south of Portland at 10:38 am local time
• Shooter neutralised around 11:30 local time
• College is now closed for the weekend as staff try to reunify students with families
• Chilling message posted on internet forum prior to shooting
• A Kiwi basketball player was caught up in the shooting

US officials have identified the Oregon shooter, describing him as an "angry young man filled with hate".

The New York Times reported a law enforcement officials identified the gunman, at this morning's shooting, as 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer.

Officials also divulged he lived in the Roseburg area and had three weapons; handguns and at least one long gun.

However, it wasn't clear if he shot them all.

A neighbor of the man who went on the rampage said he "seemed really unfriendly".

Bronte Hart lived below Mercer in the community of Winchester.

She said he would "sit by himself in the dark in the balcony with this little light".

Hart says a woman she believed to be his mother also lived upstairs and was "crying her eyes out" Thursday.

Residents have gathered at a Roseburg, Oregon, park for a vigil for the victims.

The crowd gathered around 8 p.m. at Stewart Park in the city about 180 miles south of Portland.

Many people held up candles as the hymn "Amazing Grace" was played.

A woman is comforted as friends and family wait for students. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)

Ian Mercer, Chris Harper Mercer's father, spoke to KABC-TV and several other media outlets gathered outside his house in Tarzana, California, late Thursday night.

He said it's been a "devastating day" for him and his family and he has been talking to police and the FBI about the shooting.

Step-sister Carmen Nesnick told KCBS-TV the shooting didn't make sense.

"All he ever did was put everyone before himself, he wanted everyone to be happy," she said.

Traumatised students have reported seeing teachers, friends and fellow students shot down before their eyes at a community college in the United States this morning.

The lone male shooter, 26, killed 10 and injured seven after opening fire in the Snyder building, at the Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon at 10:30am local time.

Earlier reports had suggested at least 15 had been killed and 20 injured, though local police have since revised this in its latest media briefing.

As it happened

The first 911 calls came in shortly after at, 10:38 leading to a massive police response that involved local police, the FBI, special agents from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

It's believed the shooter was "neutralised" roughly an hour after the tragedy unfolded.

One student, Kortney Moore, told NR Today she was in class when a shot came through the window; she also saw her teacher get shot in the head.

At least 20 people were injured in the shooting. Photo / AP

The 18-year-old said the shooter made people lie on the ground, before getting up to state their religion, after which he began firing.

She said she'd lain in the classroom with the people who'd been shot.

Another student, Cassandra Welding, 20, told the New York Times she saw a woman get shot in the stomach as she went to close the classroom door.

"He was just out there, hanging outside the door," Ms Welding said of the gunman, "and she slumped over, and I knew something wasn't right. And they're like, 'She got shot, she got shot.' And everyone is panicking."

CPR was started on the woman, people closed the doors and shut off the lights as the students huddled in the corner.

"I heard more shooting," she said. "It was horrific.

"My whole body was shaking, a chill was going down my spine. We called 911," said Ms. Welding. "I was on the phone with my mom pretty much the entire time. I knew this could have been the last time I talked to her."

Omg there's someone shooting on campus.

— Kayla Marie (@KP_KaylaMarie) October 1, 2015

Students are running everywhere. Holy God.

— Kayla Marie (@KP_KaylaMarie) October 1, 2015

Reports on social media have linked a chilling message to the shooting that federal officials are now investigating.

In the message thread on 4chan, an anonymous poster wrote, "Don't go to school tomorrow if you are in the northwest."

The chilling message read, "Don't go to school tomorrow if you are in the northwest". Photo / Twitter

The New York Times reported Sheriff John Hanlin of Douglas County saying the details around the identities of the deceased would not be released at this stage.

He said the names of the victims would be released within 24 to 48 hours.

Those injured had been sent to various hospitals in the area depending on their injuries.

"It is very early in this event and we are still trying to confirm a great amount of information that is floating around and great amount of information that we need to confirm," Sheriff Hanlin said. "Our victims and the families of our victims are our priority. Everything that we do from here on will be for them."

In an earlier media briefing the sheriff divulged some details around how police were confronted by the shooter.

He said the shooter had fired at the officers - but didn't know what kind of weapon had been used.

Kiwi caught up in shooting

It's reported 20-year-old Jaylen Gerrand (pictured), a former Westlake Boys student, had been in Oregon for only three weeks. Photo: John Borren / Bay of Plenty Times

A young Kiwi basketball player had only been at the college for two weeks when he was caught up in the shooting.

Jaylen Gerrand, a former student of Westlake Boys High School on Auckland's North Shore, was at the college on a basketball scholarship.

He had only been in the US for two weeks when his scholarship dream turned into a nightmare.

Mr Gerrand, who was at Umpqua Community College on a basketball scholarship, told Radio New Zealand he was waiting outside a class and described a "rush of things" before people started running.

"I was walking past going to my classes and then just heard gunshots and saw people falling pretty much," he said.

He has been praised for getting a message out, warning others about what was happening.

His basketball coach in Oregon, Daniel Leeworthy, said the young man was the first of the team to text him when the shootings began, to warn others to get off campus.

He said his actions were heroic.

Head coach of the James Blond Supercity Rangers, Jeff Green, said he had spoken to Gerrand this morning who, contrary to earlier reports, is uninjured, but shaken and "just wants to come home".

"He was running alongside a guy and the guy was shot dead."

Green's son Tamamoko and another local player Hyrum Harris were set to join him on Tuesday after the secondary school national championships.

Green said that trip had now been postponed.

Gerrand's family have gathered at his Auckland home.

When the Herald attempted to speak to them, one member of the family tearfully said they were just trying to cope with what had happened.

"It's all gotten a bit big," she said.

At least five members of the family, including Jaylen's mum were gathered in the family lounge.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said foreign affairs staff in the US were in contact with Gerrand and his New Zealand-based family.

A spokesman with the Consulate General in Los Angeles had spoken to him and confirmed he was unharmed, "is doing fine and is back home [in the US] with friends".

The political and public response

Politicians took to social media to express their shock at yet another shooting in the United States.

US Senator from the State of Oregon, Jeff Merkley tweeted his shock at the news.

"Horrific news from Umpqua Community College in Roseburg. My heart and prayers are with the victims and their families."

Professor of Sociology Randy Blazak who has spent the last 25 years studying hate crimes and hate groups told the Washington Post past incidents shows shooters like this tend to be "white and male".

"It's heart-breaking how often our news cycle is disrupted by something like this.

"They buy into it as a heroic act...even in films the hero is the guy that goes in with two guns blazing."

Mr Blazak says it's often those who've been bullied or suffered a loss that tend to pick up a gun.

Sky News US Correspondent Amanda Walker says such shootings are becoming an all too regular occurrence.

"This seems to have gone into that category of being a really serious incident...we see it way too often," she says. "This is a regular, nonetheless tragic real problem in America."

Everytown for Gun Safety reports since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut two years ago there have been 142 shootings - including this latest one in Oregon.

US President Barack Obama has voiced his anger and sadness after the country's latest deadly shooting, and made another impassioned plea for gun control legislation.

"Somehow this has become routine," Obama said at the White House in reaction to the shooting by a 26-year-old gunman at Umpqua Community College in rural Roseburg.

"We can actually do something about it, but we're going to have to change our laws," Obama said.

"It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun."

Prime Minister John Key said Obama had raised the need for gun controls but the Congress and Senate seemed unwilling to move on gun laws in the United States.

"But [Obama] himself seems unable to move a lobby that is extremely powerful.," he said. "The tragedy for the United States in recent times is that this isn't the first and sadly it doesn't look like it's going to be the last. The United States has hundreds and hundreds of millions of guns in circulation.

"From Virginia Tech to the most recent in Oregon we've just seen far too many innocent people killed as a result of that."

College decided against hiring security guard

A former president of Umpqua Community College, who had retired in June, said the school had discussed, but decided against hiring an armed security guard.

"We talked about that over the last year because we were concerned about safety on campus," Joe Olson told The New York Times.

"The campus was split 50-50. We thought we were a very safe campus and having armed security officers on campus might change the culture."

However, he also told the US paper that he did not believe the security guard could have prevented a gunman on a mission to kill.

"If you want to come on the campus and you want to shoot five people, you are going to do that before our security would arrive."

About Umpqua Community College

• Established in 1964
• Serves the greater Douglas County area
• 3,300 full-time students
• 16,000 part-time students
• It has sixteen campus buildings located on 40 ha near the North Umpqua River

Deadliest school shooting in recent American history:

• Sandy Hook Elementary - December 2012 - 27 deaths, including gunman
• Virginia Tech - April 2007 - 33 deaths, including gunman
• Red Lake Senior High School - March 2005 - 8 Victims, including gunman
• Columbine High School - April 1999 - 15 victims, including two gunmen

Fatal school shootings in America this year:

• Delta State University - September 14 - One professor killed

• Sacramento Community College - September 3 - One student killed.

• Savannah State University - August 27 - One student killed.

• Wichita State University - August 8 - One student killed

• Elolf Elementary School - July 24 - One student killed

• Willow Elementary School - May 4 - One student killed

• Wayne Community College - April 13 - One college worker killed

• Tenaya Middle School - February 15 - One teenager killed

• University of South Carolina - February 2 - One professor killed