The Saddest Day

Umpqua Community College and the community that surrounds it is reeling from a mass shooting that left nine people dead.

    The school was transformed last Thursday by a deadly shooting that killed nine people and left another nine wounded. The gunman also died, although it’s unclear whether he was shot by police or committed suicide. The shooter appeared to move from one building on campus to another; those killed and wounded were found in at least two classrooms. the gunman told the professor teaching, “I’ve been waiting to do this for years”. According to Anastasia Boylan, the gunman singled out the Christians and then he shot and killed them.

     The wounded had been shot in the head, abdomen, and limbs. Officials haven’t released the names of the victims. But multiple law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation identified the gunman as 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer.  One law enforcement official said that the gunman had body armor with him and was heavily  armed, with a large amount of ammunition, enough for a prolonged gunfight. The shooting has left its mark on the scarred survivors, on the frightened students across campus and on the community. In the aftermath of the massacre, a visibly upset President Barack Obama delivered the 15th statement of his presidency on gun violence.
Staff Reporter- Shianna Evans