October 4, 2015- The gunman who killed his English professor and eight others at an Oregon community college committed suicide after a shootout with police who arrived within five minutes and exchanged fire with him nearly immediately, authorities said.
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Father Ian Mercer said he had no idea his son had accumulated so many guns.
The details of his weapons arsenal emerged as Oregon governor Kate Brown urged that the debates over America’s gun laws wait, to allow the community to support grieving families.
Hours after the shooting, a visibly frustrated Obama urged Americans to press their elected leaders to enact tougher firearms safety laws, and he criticized those who in a knee-jerk fashion oppose “common-sense gun legislation”. Every time something like this happens, they talk about it and nothing gets done.
A search in Harper-Mercer’s home revealed another handgun, bringing the total in the shooter’s possession to 14, said Hanlin.
Sick shooter Christopher Harper-Mercer also allegedly told a random student to go into the corner and spared him from the massacre.
“It’s been a devastating day, devastating for me and my family”, he said, according to a transcript provided by KNBC-TV.
The teen said he tried to avoid any eye contact with the mass murderer so as not to stand out, and believes Harper-Mercer may have shot himself during the gun battle with police that killed the psycho. “Our thoughts, our hearts and our prayers go out to all of the families of those who died and were injured”. “I will forever call your son my hero”, he said of 20-year-old Treven Anspach.
The writings include feelings of anger about being isolated and unable to form relationships, law enforcement officials said. Scroggins said his daughter survived because she was lying on the floor and partially covered by the body and blood of a fellow student.
Harper-Mercer then told the student that inside the shooter’s backpack was “all the information that you’ll need, give it to the police”, Scroggins said, citing the account by his daughter.
Way’s concerns that Harper-Mercer might misuse the training he would receive at the academy proved prescient.
Authorities shed no light on his motive and said they were investigating.
Armed with multiple guns, Chris Harper Mercer, 26, walked in a classroom at the community college, Thursday, and opened fire, killing nine people and wounding several others.
Police earlier released the names of the victims, who ranged in age from 18 to 67.
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“She’s starting to really remember the events of what happened”, the teenager’s aunt, Colleen Fitzgerald, told a news conference on Saturday. In one post, he appeared to urge readers to watch the online footage of Vester Flanagan shooting two former colleagues live on TV in August in Virginia, noting “the more people you kill, the more you’re in the limelight”.
