Oregon College Shooting Kills 10, Wounds at Least Seven Othe

Living as we do in an assassinocracy, government by those who are left, it behooves us to think deeply on the topic of mass murder. For example, whenever a political assassination occurs, many witnesses are also dispatched to that realm from whence no testimony issues. The notion that murderers are merely evil is quite misleading. Most often, they are employed.

Oregon College Shooting Kills 10, Wounds at Least Seven Othe

Postby admin » Fri Oct 02, 2015 9:31 pm

Oregon College Shooting Kills 10, Wounds at Least Seven Others
by Elizabeth Miller
October 2, 2015

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A shooting at a college campus in Oregon yesterday left 10 people dead and several others wounded. The shooting is the 45th school shooting in the United States in 2015 alone.

Ten people were killed and at least seven wounded yesterday when a 26-year-old man opened fire at Umpqua Community college in southern Oregon.

The shooter has been identified as Chris Harper Mercer. Mercer reportedly had three hand guns and an assault rifle and was wearing body armor. He died during a gunfire exchange with the responding police.

According to the father of one of the victims, the gunman was targeting people based on their religion, specifically Christians. Anastasia Boylan told her father, before going into surgery, that the gunman would order students to stand up if they were Christian. After they did so he reportedly said “Good, because you’re a Christian, you’re going to see God in just about one second.” He would then proceed to shoot them.

Families were able to meet at a nearby fairground. John Hanlin, sheriff of Douglas county, did confirm that there were 10 dead, but declined to state whether or not the gunman was included in that total. The sheriff also stated that he will not name the shooter: “Let me be very clear, I will not name the shooter,” he said. “I will not give him the credit he probably sought prior to this horrific and cowardly act.” and to please “not to glorify and create sensationalism for him. He in no way deserves it.”

Hero tells gunman, ‘It’s my son’s birthday today’

Chris Mintz, a student and Army veteran, reportedly rushed the gunman during the attack.

According to witnesses, Mintz was pulling fire alarms and focused on getting people out shortly after the shooting began. He then ended up back in the building where the shooting was taken place. At one point he rushed the shooter in an attempt to block the door and was shot seven times.

He reportedly told the gunman, after being shot at least once, that it was his son’s birthday.

Mintz has broken legs among several other injuries, but has undergone at least one surgery and is expected to recover.

“Our thoughts and prayers are not enough”

President Obama offered his condolences to the victim’s families on Thursday, stating that “Our thoughts and prayers are not enough” before asking, once again, for voters to demand changes to the nation’s gun laws.

The President also called out to responsible gun owners: “I would particularly ask America’s gun owners who are using those guns properly, safely, to hunt for sport, for protecting their families, to think about whether your views are being properly represented by the organization that suggests it is speaking for you.”

This isn’t the first time the President has shown his frustration at being blocked in his attempts to change the current gun laws. In July he told the BBC: “”If you ask me where is the one area where I feel that I have been most frustrated and most stymied, it is the fact that the United States of America is the one advanced nation on earth in which we do not have sufficient, common sense, gun safety laws. Even in the face of repeated mass killings.”

Now, Obama says “”Somehow, this has become routine. The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium ends up being routine … we’ve become numb to this.”

Officials have not yet released the names of the shooting victims.

The shooting is the 45th school shooting in the US for this year alone, and the 142nd since the attack at Sandy Hook elementary school in 2012.
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Re: Oregon College Shooting Kills 10, Wounds at Least Seven

Postby admin » Sat Oct 03, 2015 6:27 pm

‘Good Guy with a Gun’ Was on UCC Campus at Time of Massacre
by Judd Legum
October 2, 2015

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Candles spelling UCC for Umpqua Community College, are displayed at a candlelight vigil for those killed during a fatal shooting at the school, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

The tragic event that happened in Oregon recently is bringing to light a controversial issue—UCC was not a gun free zone by law. So why did so many of the armed civilians retreat at the time of the massacre?

Umpqua Community College, the site of the massacre on Thursday that left at least 10 people dead, was not — in law or in practice — a gun free zone.

It was the policy of university administrators to limit the use of guns to the extent allowed by law. But, as ThinkProgress and the New York Times reported, Oregon is one of seven states that allows concealed carry on postsecondary campuses. This was based on a 2011 state court decision invalidating efforts to ban guns at public universities in Oregon. Public colleges like UCC are permitted to exclude concealed weapons from certain buildings and facilities but not the campus in general.

But not only was UCC not a gun free zone by law, there were also people who brought guns onto campus at the time of the massacre.

John Parker Jr., a veteran and student at UCC, spoke with MSNBC and revealed that he was in a campus building with a concealed handgun when the shooting started. He suggested other students with him at the time were also carrying concealed handguns.



The issue of whether UCC was a “gun free zone” has become a source of controversy. Gun advocates argue that “gun free zones” encourage gun violence by creating a space where people are unable to defend themselves.

This is not supported by the facts. According to a study of 62 mass shootings over 30 years conducted by Mother Jones, “not a single case includes evidence that the killer chose to target a place because it banned guns.” Many of those mass shootings took place in areas were guns where permitted, but not a single one was stopped by armed civilians.

Parker’s interview revealed the practical difficulties of armed civilians trying to stop a mass shooting. By the time he became aware of the shooting, a SWAT team had already responded. He was concerned that police would view him as a “bad guy” and target him, so he quickly retreated into the classroom.
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Re: Oregon College Shooting Kills 10, Wounds at Least Seven

Postby admin » Sun Oct 11, 2015 2:30 am

Official: Ore. gunman ranted about lack of girlfriend
by Matthew Diebel
USA Today

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The gunman who killed nine people at a community college in Roseburg, Ore., reportedly ranted about not having a girlfriend in a document he left behind.

In the manifesto, a law enforcement source told The Associated Press, Christopher Harper-Mercer wrote something to the effect of: "Other people think I'm crazy, but I'm not. I'm the sane one." The writings were a couple of pages long.

The official also said the mother of the 26-year-old gunman, who killed himself as police closed in, told investigators he was struggling with mental health issues. The source is familiar with the investigation but wasn't authorized to speak publicly because it is ongoing.

Two days before the shootings, according to The New York Times, Harper-Mercer commented online in a post titled "How many girlfriends have you had?" by saying "0. Never had anyone." When pressed further by another user, he responded "Well, it means I've never been with anyone, no woman nor man (nor dog or animal or any other)."

The day after, responding to a comment that he "must be saving himself for someone special," he said, "Involuntarily so."

Meanwhile, the Times also reported that the gunman's mother, Laurel Harper, 64, shared his obsession with guns. In a series of online postings over a decade, the paper said, she wrote that she kept numerous firearms in her home and expressed pride in her knowledge about them, as well as in her son's expertise on the subject. She and her son also went to shooting ranges together.

In an online forum, Yahoo Answers, the Times said, Harper complained about "lame states" that limit the keeping of loaded firearms in homes, saying that she had AR-15 and AK-47 semiautomatic rifles, along with a Glock handgun. She also boasted that her son, who lived with her, was well versed in guns, citing him as her source of information on gun laws, saying he "has much knowledge in this field."

The paper also reported that Harper, who did not respond to messages asking for comment, used the forums to discuss her difficulties raising a son who she said struggled with Asperger's syndrome, an autism-related disorder. In the messages, she said she had some success in helping him overcome the condition. "I was in your shoes and now my son's in college," she wrote.

According to the Times, one piece of advice Harper, a nurse, gave for a parent with an autistic infant was to start reading to the child as soon as possible and to use expressive gestures. An online posting from six years ago said that she used to read aloud from Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal.

"And now my son invests in the stock market along with me, turns a profit and is working on a degree in finance. His language and reading skills are phenomenal. I tell you this because it's not too late for you to start helping your daughter."

Also Monday, some faculty, staff and students returned to the Umpqua Community College campus for the first time since the shooting, while President Obama announced he will travel to Oregon to visit privately with victims' families.

Classes do not resume until next week, but some students came to the campus to pick up belongings they left behind Thursday when they fled. Others met with counselors to discuss their trauma and grief, the AP reported.

Obama said he will visit Roseburg on Friday as he opens a four-day trip to the West Coast. No additional details about his visit were immediately available.

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Faculty members embrace as they are allowed to return to Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore. The campus reopened to faculty for the first time since Oct. 1, when armed suspect Chris Harper-Mercer killed multiple people and wounded several others before taking his own life at Snyder Hall. John Locher, AP
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Re: Oregon College Shooting Kills 10, Wounds at Least Seven

Postby admin » Sun Oct 11, 2015 2:47 am

Official: Oregon gunman left angry note glorifying mass killers
by Trevor Hughes and Kevin Johnson
USA TODAY
October 3, 2015

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Authorities say the suspect in the Oregon college shooting had six guns with him at the school and another seven at home. They were all purchased legally, but not all of them were purchased by the suspect. VPC

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The photos of three of the victims of the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College are displayed at a news conference, Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore. In the photos, from left, are Quinn Cooper, 18, Lucas Eibel,18, center, and Jason Johnson, 33. They were among those killed when Chris Harper Mercer, walked into a class at the community college, Thursday, and opened fire. At left is Portland Police Sgt. Pete Simpson.
(Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP)


ROSEBURG, Ore. — The 26-year-old gunman in the deadly shooting spree in southern Oregon is believed to have left behind a document that glorified mass killings and bitterly referred to his lonely existence with few human contacts outside the Internet, a law enforcement official said Friday.

The official, who is not authorized to comment publicly, also said one of the four weapons used by the gunman in the Umpqua Community College shootings to kill nine people was registered to someone else.

Federal law enforcement sources have identified the killer as Chris Mercer, who lived in the area. Local authorities say the male gunman — who they have refused to name publicly to avoid giving him further notoriety — was killed in a shootout with police shortly around 10:30 a.m. Pacific time on Thursday.

As details came to light, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin named the victims who died:

• Lucero Alcaraz, 19, of Roseburg, whose sister posted on Facebook that she won scholarships to cover her college costs;
• Quinn Glen Cooper, 18, of Roseburg, whose family said he loved dancing and voice acting;
• Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59, an outdoors lover who was taking classes at the same time as her daughter;
• Lucas Eibel, 18, of Roseburg, who was studying chemistry and loved volunteering with animals;
• Jason Johnson, 33, whose mother told NBC News that he successfully battled drug abuse and was in his first week of college;
• Lawrence Levine, 67, of Glide, an assistant professor of English at the college;
• Sarena Dawn Moore, 44, of Myrtle Creek;
• Treven Taylor Anspach, 20, of Sutherlin; and
• Rebecka Ann Carnes, 18, of Myrtle Creek.

The youngest victims in the shooting at Umpqua Community College were 18 years old. The oldest victim was a 67-year-old teacher. VPC

Authorities confiscated 13 weapons associated with the shooter, six at the site of the killings and seven at his apartment, Celinez Nunez, assistant agent in charge at Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told reporters Friday. Nunez said all the weapons had been purchased legally by the shooter or members of is family.

The ATF agent also said a flak jacket outfitted with a steel plate and containing 5 magazines of ammunition was found next to a rifle belonging to the gunman at the scene of the shootings.

The rambling document left behind, and believed to be written by the gunman, lamented an isolated life with little promise, the official said.

The contents and tone of the document, the official said, tracked the often desperate and depressed writings from members of a loosely affiliated group known as the "beta boys." The official said members associated with the group share profound disappointment with their lots in life and the lack of meaningful relationships.

Ten people were killed and another seven people were injured during a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. The shooter, who federal authorities identified as 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer, was killed in a shootout with police. VPC

Nine others were killed in the shooting spree that has rocked this rural community. It was the fourth shooting involving students on a U.S. college campus since August.

Those who knew the shooter described a deeply troubled loner.

At an apartment complex where Harper-Mercer and his mother lived in Southern California, neighbors remembered a quiet and odd young man who rode a red bike everywhere.

Reina Webb, 19, said the man's mother was friendly and often chatted with neighbors, but Harper-Mercer kept to himself. She said she occasionally heard him having temper tantrums in his apartment.

"He was kind of like a child so that's why his tantrums would be like kind of weird. He's a grown man. He shouldn't be having a tantrum like a kid. That's why I thought there was something — something was up," she said.

Bronte Harte, another neighbor, described Harper-Mercer as "really unfriendly" and said he would "sit by himself in the dark in the balcony with this little light."

A woman believed to be Harper-Mercer's mother lived upstairs and was "crying her eyes out" on Thursday, Harte said.

Residents in this rural community had braced Friday for the release of the names of the dead. In addition to those killed, nine people were injured during the ordeal in a college classroom.

Douglas County, Oregon Sheriff John Hanlin says he won't name the man who shot and killed nine people on a community college campus on Thursday. The gunman, identified by an anonymous official as Chris Harper Mercer, was also killed. (Oct. 2) AP

After the shooting Thursday, students were evacuated on school buses to the Douglas County fairgrounds, where some spoke with police, visited with grief counselors and ministers and then reunited with family.

The UCC campus was closed on Friday, but authorities allowed students and staff to meet at the fairgrounds to be driven back on campus on school buses to retrieve their belongings and cars. Many who were there expressed horror and shock over the tragedy.

Shelby Rokus, 18, struggled to comprehend the bullets that pierced through one of the victims that she says she has known since childhood. The female victim is being treated at an area hospital.

Rokus found out about her friend's injuries while she was at a vigil on Thursday night.

"That was really hard to hear," she said. Rokus is a student at UCC, but she wasn't on campus Thursday, she said.

She added she felt bad thinking of her friend in the intensive care unit by herself. She said she hoped to visit her and bring her flowers soon.

"It's really heart-aching to know that a lot of innocent people had to die," Rokus said. "No one deserved that."

Derek Sjogren, 18, said Friday at the fairgrounds he was at the pool at the physical education center of the UCC campus when he learned about the shooting unfolding at Snyder Hall.

He said he heard a lot of people yelling, then shooting, and his class went into lockdown.

Kallista Fletcher, 21, said she didn't know Rebecka Ann Carnes very well. But she knows she was a kind woman who loved God, she said Friday at the fairgrounds.

Fletcher said she found out about Carnes' death through Facebook on Thursday night.

"It's hard to lose someone who can make an impact on someone with just a smile," she said.

Fletcher, a sophomore at UCC, was at the fitness center when news of the shooting spread across the campus.

On her fluorescent pink shirt were hastily drawn hearts and the writing "#pray4UCC"in black ink. Although she was attempting to live out her routine Friday, she said, "my life is not normal right now."

On Thursday, the shooting prompted a visibly frustrated President Obama to renew his calls for more gun regulation.

Two of the 10 people initially admitted to Mercy Medical Center after the shooting will remain, one in critical condition and one in stable condition, Jason Gray, chief medical officer, told reporters Friday. They were among four who underwent operations from gunshot wounds. One of the four has been released and another was expected to leave the hospital Friday.

The father of a man who officials have identified as the Oregon community college gunman says he's as shocked as anybody at the deaths of 10 people including his son. Ian Mercer spoke to reporters in Tarzana, California on Thursday night. (Oct. 2) AP

Gray also said that two of the original 10 were treated and released and one person died in the hospital. The remaining three were transferred to another PeaceHealth Sacred Heart medical Center in Springfield.

Officials said Friday that its three patients were stable, although two remained in the intensive care unit. One of the victims had suffered a head injury and one with a gunshot wound to the spine.

Responding to a report that the suspect asked the religion of a victim, Hanlin said he had also heard the claim, but it was "way too early to determine" whether the shooting was a hate crime.

Dustin Cosby, an associate professor at Umpqua Community College, said that with such a small town, "everyone's connected."

CONTRIBUTING: Saerom Yoo, (Salem, Ore.) Statesman Journal; Associated Press
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