Oregon gunman killed himself

World Today

Oregon School ShootingPeople bow their heads in prayer during a vigil Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Winston, Ore. The vigil was held in honor of the victims of the fatal shooting at Umpqua Community College on Thursday. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The gunman who had shot dead nine at a community college in the U.S. state of Oregon Thursday killed himself on the scene as police approached, said Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin at a press briefing on Saturday.

“The medical examiner has determined the cause of death of the shooter to be suicide,” said Hanlin.

According to the sheriff, police have found yet another gun at gunman Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer’s apartment, making the number of guns held by the gunman 14.

Of the nine shot dead, eight are students and one part-time professor at the Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, southern Oregon.

So far police have tracked hundreds of clues and interviewed with hundreds of people including the victims, witnesses, neighbors of the gunman and other relevant residents, and are is still collecting picture and video evidences related to the shooting.

The gunman was said to be a 20-year-old male who started the carnage at the community college campus before having an exchange of fire with police.

Evidences collected by the police show that the gunman moved with his mother to Oregon in 2013. Before, they had been living in southern California. The man has been suffering from autism since teenage period, said the police.

Sheriff Hanli said Saturday’s press briefing was the last one, after which an all-round in-depth investigation would be carried out.

Authorities of the Umpqua Community College said the campus will be opened on Monday but classes and other activities will remain suspended.

The names of the nine victims who died:

●Lucero Alcaraz, 19, of Roseburg
●Treven Taylor Anspach, 20, of Sutherlin
●Rebecka Ann Carnes, 18, of Myrtle Creek
●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

Story from Reuters and The Associated Press.