‘He was one of the silent types’
• The gunman who cut a deadly path through a college campus appeared armed for an extended siege, according to investigators who are probing more deeply into suspicions the shooter may have been driven by religious rage and a fascination with the twisted notoriety of high-profile killers.
What is known so far about the attacker — identified by a U.S. law enforcement official as Chris Harper Mercer — appears mostly as loose strands that suggested an interest in firearms and the infamy gained by mass shooters.
Witnesses also said he seemed to seek specific revenge against Christians, and police examined web posts that hinted of wider antipathy toward organized faith.
On Friday afternoon, the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office released the names of the nine victims who died: Lucero Alcaraz, 19, of Roseburg; Quinn Glen Cooper, 18, of Roseburg; Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59, of Roseburg; Lucas Eibel, 18, of Roseburg; Jason Dale Johnson, 33, of Winston; Lawrence Levine, 67, of Glide, a teacher; Sarena Dawn Moore, 44, of Myrtle Creek; Treven Taylor Anspach, 20, of Sutherlin; and Rebecka Ann Carnes, 18, of Myrtle Creek.
An agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said at a news conference Friday that investigators had recovered 13 weapons, including six at the school. A flak jacket with steel plates and five magazines of ammunition were also recovered at the scene. The rest of the weapons, and more ammunition, were found at Mercer’s home. The weapons were acquired legally, she said.
But authorities still struggled to build a clearer picture of what drove the Californiaraised Mercer, 26, to stalk rural Umpqua Community College and methodically pick off students and professors Thursday on the fourth day of the fall semester.
When it was over, nine people were dead, plus Mercer, nine others had been injured and the college joined the mournful roster of America’s mass shooting sites — and the backdrop for the latest debate about gun control.
Thursday night, as police picked through Mercer’s apartment near campus, hundreds of people joined a candlelight vigil. Some sang along to Amazing Grace — the same hymn President Barack Obama offered in June when Charleston was the focus of the nation’s grief and questions over another rampage.
This time, Obama said collective grief was “not enough” and made an emotional appeal for a national groundswell toward stricter gun laws.
Witnesses to the Oregon bloodshed described Mercer as questioning people at gunpoint about their religious affiliations, and appearing to single out Christians for killing.
“He said, ‘Good, because you’re a Christian, you’re going to see God in just about one second,’ ” said Stacy Boylan, recounting the account of his wounded daughter, Anastasia, who underwent surgery to treat a gunshot to her spine.
“And then he shot and killed them,” he said.
At least 10 others were admitted for treatment at the Mercy Medical Center, said the chief medical officer, Jason Gray. He said three patients were transferred to larger facilities for more intensive care.
“Disbelief, anger, sadness, resolution” was how Gray described the emotions among the staff scene as the wounded arrived.
Autumn Vicari, whose brother known as J.J. witnessed the shootings, told NBC News about the gruesome selection process Mercer imposed.
According to NBC: “Vicari said at one point the shooter told people to stand up before asking whether they were Christian or not. Vicari’s brother told her that anyone who responded ‘yes’ was shot in the head. If they said ‘ other’ or didn’t answer, they were shot elsewhere in the body, usually the leg.”
The violence stopped only after authorities exchanged gunfire with Mercer. At 10:47 a.m., the end was announced over the police scanner: The suspect was down.
As with many other shootings, investigators turned to the dark corners of the Web for possible clues on what pushed the attacker to move from words and images to deadly violence. A MySpace page shows a photo believed to be Mercer sporting a crew cut and holding a rifle. The page includes posts extolling the Irish Republican Army.
Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin — more out of anger than discretion — said he would not utter the assailant’s name. “I will not give him credit for this horrific act of cowardice,” said Hanlin, an outspoken critic of state and federal gun control proposals. “Media will get the name confirmed in time ... but you will never hear us use it.”
Mercer was born in Britain and came to the United States as a young boy. Rick Rada, a former classmate, recalled him as quiet, cheerful and calm. “To me Chris was just an ordinary guy, really. He was one of the silent types like me,” Rada said. “But we got along with our teachers. He opened up with the teachers, talked to them, had fun.”
Mercer moved to Oregon with his mother a year or two ago, according to public records.
Steven Fisher, who lives nearby, described Mercer as “skittish.” He said: “His demeanour, the way he moved, always looking around. I got a bad vibe from him.”