10 dead, 7 wounded at Oregon school shooting in Roseburg US

Roseburg: A gunman went on a shooting rampage at a college in the US state of Oregon, killing 10 people and wounding seven before he died in a shootout with police.

A visibly angry President Barack Obama made an impassioned plea for gun control in the wake of the shooting, blasting Congress for its failure to act in the face of “routine” mass killings.

The man — identified by US media as Chris Harper Mercer, 26 — opened fire in a classroom at Umpqua Community College in rural Roseburg, and moved to other rooms methodically gunning down his victims, witnesses said.

Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said 10 people were killed and seven were injured, several critically. He said the victims’ identities would not be released for 24 to 48 hours.

Hanlin confirmed that authorities believed they had identified the shooter, but declined to release his name.

A candlelit vigil was being held Thursday at 8 pm in Roseburg, a close-knit logging community with many locals among the 3,300 students at the college.

Witnesses quoted in the US media described scenes of terror and panic as the tragedy unfolded.

Police were alerted to the shooting shortly after 10:30 am and rushed to the site as the tragedy was still unfolding.

Hanlin said police exchanged fire with the gunman who was later confirmed dead.

Authorities said investigators were examining social media postings thought to belong to the shooter. Several reports said he may have shared his intentions online beforehand.

Other reports said police recovered four weapons and a cell phone at the scene that contained messages linked to the massacre.

Police searched the entire campus after the shooting aided by sniffer dogs and patted down students and staff as they left and boarded buses that transported them to local fairgrounds.

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Source:Zeenews