Reporting from Roseburg, Ore. — Christopher Harper-Mercer killed himself after he fatally shot nine people and wounded nine others in his attack at Umpqua Community College, among the deadliest mass school shootings in two decades, officials said Saturday.
Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said the medical examiner ruled that Harper-Mercer’s death was a suicide. Officials had earlier said the gunman died during an exchange of gunfire with responding officers.
Authorities also recovered an additional weapon during the search of Harper-Mercer’s home, bringing to 14 the number of guns found, Hanlin said. Officials said six guns were found at the school and the rest at his home.
The announcement comes as investigators continue combing through a trove of information in an effort to understand the shooter’s background and determine his motive.
FULL COVERAGE: Oregon community college shooting
They are conducting hundreds of interviews with witnesses and those who knew Harper-Mercer, described by law enforcement sources as a hate-filled person who had long struggled with mental health issues.
In addition to firearms, authorities have seized his electronic devices and writings, Hanlin said.
Harper-Mercer opened fire Thursday morning in his English class while heavily armed and wearing a flak jacket, reportedly asking students whether they were Christian before he shot them.
The most detailed reconstruction yet of the 10 deadly minutes at the school was released Saturday, beginning with the first call to 911 emergency operators at 10:38 a.m. Thursday.
Within five minutes, two Roseburg Police officers arrived along with an Oregon State Police trooper, the sheriff said.
By 10:46 a.m., “officer reports an exchange of shots with suspect,†according to the time line.
Two minutes later, at 10:48, came the report “suspect down.â€
The sheriff said the quick police reaction probably saved lives.
“I want to express my most sincere appreciation to those most directly touched by this incident,†Hanlin said. He went on to praise “the two Roseburg police officers who responded and stopped the shooter from killing dozens of other people who were in that classroom and in the immediate vicinity.â€
On Saturday, one mother spoke of how her daughter lived through the 10 violent minutes in the classroom.
Only 16 years old, Cheyeanne Fitzgerald had graduated from high school early and aspired to be a nurse. Thursday was her fourth day of class as a college student.
The shooter asked Cheyeanne “what her religion was,†said Bonnie Schaan, her mother. When Cheyeanne did not respond, he shot her below the shoulder blade, the bullet puncturing her lung and lodging into her kidney.
When the gunman ordered students to get in the middle of the room, Cheyeanne couldn’t move. So she played dead — and managed to send out a text message, even posting it to Facebook.
“The [expletive] shot me in the back,†the message said.
“Her recovery is going to be long, but we’re going to get there,†said Schaan, adding that her daughter’s kidney had been removed and that she was in intensive care.
The attack has shocked Harper-Mercer’s family, which released a statement Saturday.
“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,†the family said in a statement released by authorities.
Ian Mercer, the gunman’s father who spoke before knowing a 14th weapon was found, questioned how his son was able to amass an arsenal that included handguns, a rifle and a shotgun.
“How on earth could he compile 13 guns? How can that happen, you know? They talk about gun laws; they talk about gun control. Every time something like this happens they talk about it and nothing happens,†he said in an interview with CNN from his Tarzana home. “If Chris had not been able to get hold of 13 guns, it would not have happened.â€
He had a good relationship with his son, who lived with his mother, Mercer said. He said he had not seen his son since he moved to Oregon with her in 2013.
As he has before, Hanlin on Saturday refused to name the gunman, arguing that to do so would glorify the violence and possibly lead others to act as copycats. He commended the victims’ families for persevering through their grief.
“This community will do quite well and pull together,†Mayor Larry Rich said Saturday. “For our community, this is a time to grieve.â€
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A prayer circle is held Oct. 5 at Snyder Hall, the site of the Umpqua Community College mass shooting.
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Despite the campus being taped off by police, Umpqua Community College reopened a few days after the shooting.
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Law enforcement officials stand guard outside Snyder Hall, enclosed by tarp.
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Mathew Downing, right, a survivor of the Umpqua Community College mass shooting, gets a hug as soon as he arrives back on campus.
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Sharon Kirkham and Kristapher Yates visit a memorial on campus.
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Students, faculty and staff members linger in Snyder Hall as a sense of normalcy returns to the reopened campus.
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Umpqua Community College President Rita Cavin at a news conference on campus.
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Umpqua Community College has reopened to faculty and staff on Oct. 5 after the mass shooting shut down the campus in Roseburg, Ore. A woman brings flowers to the school.
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People embrace at the school.
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Local and national church groups, along with community members, gather on Oct. 4 to pray at a makeshift memorial outside Snyder Hall, the building at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., where the mass shooting occurred.
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Prayers at Umpqua Community College.
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Outside Snyder Hall.
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At the New Beginnings Church of God in Roseburg, Ore., on Oct. 4, Pastor Randy Scroggins hugs a survivor of the Umpqua Community College mass shooting.
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Lacey Scroggins, 18, center left, and her mother, Lisa, weep as they listen to Pastor Randy Scroggins talk about the Umpqua Community College mass shooting, during Sunday service at the New Beginnings Church of God.
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Community members sing songs of praise during the service.
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Pastor Randy Scroggins gives his sermon.
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Christina and Kyle Workman attend a vigil on Oct. 3 at Riverbend Park in Winston, Ore., for victims of the mass shooting.
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Residents mourn shooting victims at a vigil in Riverbend Park in Winston, Ore.
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Friends of Rebecka Ann Carnes, one of the Umpqua Community College shooting victims, mourn at a vigil in Riverbend Park in Winston, Ore.
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Friends of Rebecka Ann Carnes, an Umpqua Community College shooting victim, pray before a memorial service called ‘Prayers for Roseburg,’ at Riverbend Park in Winston, Ore.
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Community members hold a vigil at Riverbend Park in Winston, Ore., for victims of the mass shooting.
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Residents hold a vigil during a memorial service called ‘Prayers for Roseburg’ at Riverbend Park in Winston, Ore.
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Heidi Wickersham, left, wipes away tears while consoling her sister, Gwendolyn Wickersham, a UCC student, at a vigil in Riverbend Park in Winston, Ore.
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Dinah Johnson, a UCC student who was on campus in a biology lab during the mass shooting, weeps at a vigil in Riverbend Park in Winston, Ore.
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Mourners gather for an emotional memorial service in Winston, Ore., about 8 miles from Roseburg.
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Toni New, a chaplain with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, leads a prayer with friends of Roseburg shooting victim Rebecka Ann Carnes at a memorial service in nearby Winston, Ore.
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Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin at a news conference Saturday, speaking about first responders to the shooting scene.
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Robin Griffith of Portland pays her respects to the victims Saturday while in Roseburg.
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The Roseburg High School marching band performs in Roseburg to honor the victims and their families and to raise money for a relief fund.
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Bonnie Schaan, center, walks away from reporters on Saturday after updating them on her 16-year-old daughter, Cheyeanne Fitzgerald, who is in critical condition after the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore.
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Portland, Ore., residents Dave and Robin Griffith stop by a makeshift memorial for victims of the attack at Umpqua Community College, in Roseburg.
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A message of healing is displayed at a local business after a fatal shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore.
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Students and staff of Umpqua Community College arrive at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, where they were offered counseling and a bus ride back to campus to pick up their possessions.
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Jennifer Hoffman, right, led family and friends of Emilio Hoffman, a Reynolds High School shooting victim, in spelling out words including “hope†and “love†with rocks in Roseburg on Friday.
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Michael Garwood, a wildland firefighter who most recently worked the Valley fire, pays his respects at a memorial along the road leading to Umpqua Community College.
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People board buses to retrieve their vehicles at Umpqua Community College after the mass shooting.
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Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin answers questions on the shooting at a press conference in Roseburg, Ore.
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Portland Police Sgt. Peter Simpson, left, and Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin stand in front of photos of three of the victims of the Umpqua Community College shooting. In the photos, from left, are Quinn Cooper, 18, Lucas Eibel, 18, and Jason Johnson, 33.
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Signs of support are posted around Roseburg, Ore.
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Reporters copy photographs of three of the victims of the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College that were displayed at a news conference, Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, in Roseburg, Ore.
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Signs of support are posted in Roseburg, Ore.
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Douglas County Deputy Sheriff Greg Kennerly, left, and Oregon State Trooper Tom Willis, stand guard outside the apartment building, where alleged Umpqua Community College gunman Chris Harper Mercer lived.
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A search and rescue vehicle is seen parked at the entrance to Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.
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After an emotional press conference, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown hugs first responders.
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The police lines have come down around the apartment building where the Umpqua Community College shooter Chris Harper Mercer lived, in Winchester, Oregon.
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Mourners at a vigil for victims of the college shooting in Roseburg, Ore., on Oct. 1.
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Sunrise along the North Umpqua River with Umpqua Community College in the background, Friday morning. Nine people were killed and seven injured at Umpqua Community College when Chris Harper Mercer went a shooting rampage Thursday, October 1, 2015.
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Media outlets at Umpqua College Road and Hwy 99. where the road to the campus remains closed Friday morning.
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Signs, flowers and candles are seen at a vigil.
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Residents of Roseburg, Ore., hold a candlelight vigil for victims of the shooting at Umpqua Community College on Oct. 1.
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Residents of Roseburg, Ore., gather at an Oct. 1 candlelight vigil for the victims of the shooting at Umpqua Community College earlier in the day.
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Ian Mercer, father of Oregon shooting suspect Chris Harper-Mercer, talks to the news media outside his home on Jovan Street in Tarzana. “It’s been a devastating day for me and my family,†he said.
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Bryan Clay, 18, in Torrance talks about his former neighbor Chris Harper Mercer, identified as the gunman in the Oregon shooting.
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Alicia Santiago, 63, and her husband, Luis, 67, outside their home on Jovan Street in Tarzana. Their neighbor is believed to be the father of the Oregon gunman.
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President Obama speaks at the White House about the shooting. “This is a political choice that we make — to allow this to happen every few months in America. We collectively are answerable to those families who lose their loved ones because of our inaction,†he said.
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A bullet casing is marked at the scene of a deadly shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., on Thursday.
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Bystanders console each other on a road leading to the Umpqua Community College campus in Roseburg, Ore. following a deadly shooting at the school on Thursday.
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Friends and family are reunited with students at the local fairgrounds after a mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., on Thursday.
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People gather at a roadblock near the entrance to Umpqua Community College, in Roseburg, Ore., after a fatal campus shooting attack on Oct. 1.
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Friends and family are reunited with students at the local fairgrounds after a deadly shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore. on Oct. 1. (Ryan Kang / Associated Press)
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A woman speaks on her cellphone as friends and family are reunited with students at the local fairgrounds after a deadly shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore. on Oct. 1.
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People wait for information at the local fairgrounds after a deadly shooting at Umpqua Community College, in Roseburg, Ore., on Oct. 1.
(Ryan Kang / Associated Press) The dead range from an 18-year-old student to the 67-year-old teacher, all gathered for their Writing 115 class. Like in any community college, the group was a mix of people in different stages of life, but united in their desire to pick up new skills.
Families of the dead have asked for privacy, but offered statements about their loved ones.
Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59, formerly of Orange County, and her 18-year-old daughter were both at the school during the violence. The daughter was unhurt but the mother died in the classroom.
“She was a very energetic, very kind, kind soul,†her former husband, Eric, a vineyard manager, who remained close with the woman, wrote on his Facebook page. “Kim was an exceptional woman.â€
The father of 19-year-old Lucero Alcaraz fought back tears and anger outside his Roseburg home as he talked about her.
“There is no sense in talking about it. It’s in vain,†Ezequiel Alcaraz said in Spanish to the Associated Press. “What’s the point in showing our pain?â€
Lucero’s sister, Maria Leticia Alcaraz, posted to Facebook that her sister was missing, then broke the news that she was dead.
“Never in a million years would I have imagined going through something like this. She was my best friend and my sister,†she wrote. “I can’t begin to describe how I feel. I’m full of anger, pain, sadness, regret that I didn’t get the chance to see her or prevent this from happening.â€
College life was just beginning for Jason Johnson, who had started his first week at the school, his mother told NBC News on Friday.
Tonja Johnson Engel said that her son had struggled with drug abuse, but decided to continue his education after completing a six-month rehab program with the Salvation Army in Portland.
“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,’†Engel said.
I can’t begin to describe how I feel. I’m full of anger, pain, sadness, regret that I didn’t get the chance to see her or prevent this from happening.
— Maria Leticia Alcaraz, sister of shooting victim Lucero Alcaraz
See the most-read stories this hour >>
The family of Quinn Glen Cooper of Roseburg, 18, mourned the “funny, sweet, compassionate and such a wonderful loving person.â€
“He always stood up for people,†the statement notes. Cooper was going to take his brown belt test next week, and loved dancing and voice acting.
“Our lives are shattered beyond repair,†his family said.
Law enforcement officials visibly struggled with their words as they read the statements.
Lucas Eibel of Roseburg, 18, “was as an amazing soccer player,†his family wrote, noting his academic achievements, including graduating Roseburg High School with high academic marks, receiving a Ford Family Foundation scholarship, and receiving an Umpqua Community College scholars award.
The teacher of the class was Lawrence Levine of Glide, 67. He was also a member of Steamboaters, a fly fishing and conservation group. Dale Greenley, a fellow member of the group, told reporters that Levine was an avid fisherman who used to be a guide on the north Umpqua River.
“He was kind of quiet and laid back, he didn’t say much,†Greenley said. “But he was a good writer.â€
Sarena Dawn Moore of Myrtle Creek, 44, was a member of Grants Pass Seventh-day Adventist Church, which had a post on its Facebook page mourning her death.
In a written statement read by officials, the family of Treven Taylor Anspach of Sutherlin, 20, said he was “one of the most positive young men, always looking for the best in life.â€
NEWSLETTER: Get the day’s top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>
Rebecka Ann Carnes of Myrtle Creek, 18, was the great-granddaughter of the first cousin of U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, (D-Oregon). The senator was among a group of top officials who called on the community to pull together. He described the pain of learning that the shooting had touched so close to home. “Rebecka’s beautiful spirit will be enormously missed,†he stated.
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