Reclusive 26-year-old gunman Chris Harper Mercer opened fire at a community college in Roseburg, Oregon, on Thursday, killing ten and injuring seven. According to reports, Mercer asked students if they were Christian before shooting them.
Stacy Boylan, father of Anastasia Boylan, a student at Umpqua Community College who witnessed the shooting, told CNN that Mercer singled out Christian students.
"'Are you a Christian?' he would ask them, and 'if you are a Christian then stand up' and they would stand up. He'd say 'because you are a Christian you're going to see God in about one second' and then he shot and killed them," Stacy Boylan said. His daughter was shot in the spine and is being treated.
Autumn Vicari, a sister of J.J. Vicari who witnessed the shootings, told NBC that the shooter told the people to stand, and asked them whether they were Christian. If they answered "yes," they were shot in the head, and if they answered "other" or did not respond, they were shot somewhere else on their body, Vicari said.
Mercer was armed with six guns and extra ammunition, and investigations show that he may have deemed the attention from mass shootings as glamorous. Officials also said on Friday that he may have had negative feelings toward organized religion.
"He seems to be someone who was very anti-organized religion and was suffering from all sorts of self-worth issues," a law enforcement official told the New York Times.
Mercer was killed during a gunfire exchange with police on Thursday morning, according to reports.
Hundreds gathered Thursday evening at Stewart Park in downtown Roseburg where a prayer vigil was held in remembrance of the victims.
"In our sorrow, we will remember and honour those lost here today," Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said to the crowd.
Several churches in the area, including Wellspring Bible Fellowship, offered grief counselling for those affected by the shooting.
"We're open to anyone who wants to pray or sit in silence. We also have counselors, so if they want to talk, we're here, and we plan to be here through the night into tomorrow," Wellspring Bible Fellowship associate youth pastor Rob Johnson said, according to The Oregonian.
