A shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg has drawn emotional reactions and careful explanations from officials in Oregon.
Douglas County Sheriff John Handlin confirmed to reporters that gunfire erupted in a classroom, and 911 emergency calls started coming in at 10:38 a.m. Handlin said officers encountered the shooter and exchanged gunfire with him. Handlin said the shooter was "neutralized" and "deceased."
Handlin confirmed 10 died Thursday, and at least seven more were injured in the shooting.
"It was very frightening for a lot of people who were responding," said Sheriff Handlin. "It was a situation - there were no answers for quite some time. I personally know of a number of people that I work with that had very strong concerns about the welfare of loved ones who were going to school there."
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown spoke briefly to reporters in Portland, and identified the shooter as a 20 year-old man.
Her voice shaking slightly, Brown said "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families ... We are holding the community of Douglas County in our hearts today."
"Thank you for your work, as this community reels from grief," Brown said to emergency responders, before leaving for Roseburg.
Other Oregon leaders have reacted to the shooting, including members of the state's congressional delegation.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR): “I am absolutely heartbroken by today’s news. I have been in touch with local officials to express my deepest condolences and offer my assistance in any way possible and I will continue to monitor this tragedy and its response. The hearts and thoughts of all Oregonians are with the victims, their families and the entire UCC and Roseburg communities.”
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR): “Today’s shooting in Roseburg is a heartbreaking tragedy, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Roseburg’s first responders for their work in responding to the event. Once we know more about what happened today, I plan to work with my colleagues in Congress to find ways to prevent tragedies such as these.”
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR): "My heart breaks for the Umpqua Community College family and the surrounding community as we struggle to cope with this tragedy. Far too many times in my tenure as a Congressman I have witnessed horrific shootings in my home state and around the country. We await more details on (Thursday's) shooting, but let’s be clear – it is far past time to treat violent gun crime as a public health emergency. These tragedies are at epidemic proportions and happen in America at levels that far and away exceed levels in any other developed country in the world. Something must be done."
