2015 Umpqua Community College shooting

On the morning of October 1, 2015, a shooting occurred at Umpqua Community College (UCC) near Roseburg, Oregon. At 10:38 a.m. PDT, the first 9-1-1 call reported gunfire from Snyder Hall. The attack began in Classroom 15, where English and writing classes were held. Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer, a 26-year-old student enrolled in the writing class, entered the hallway, fired a warning shot, and forced students to the center of the room. He spared one student's life on the condition that the student later deliver a package containing his writings to police, and forced that student to watch as he continued shooting with two handguns, a Glock 19 and a Taurus PT24/7.

Harper-Mercer first shot the English professor at point-blank range. Witnesses described him asking some victims about their religious beliefs, though their answers did not appear to determine who he shot; some students were shot multiple times, and one victim, Sarena Dawn Moore, was killed while trying to climb back into a wheelchair on his orders. The Anti-Defamation League noted the incident's classification as a potential anti-religious hate crime is disputed, since the shooter's rage was not limited to religious matters and his mental-health history was also cited.

Roseburg Police Sergeant Joe Kaney and Detective Todd Spingath, who were in plainclothes, arrived at 10:44 a.m., six minutes after the first call. Two minutes later, Harper-Mercer leaned into the hallway and fired at the officers, who returned fire and struck him once. After further exchanges of gunfire, Harper-Mercer retreated into the classroom and died by suicide from a single gunshot to the head. No officers were injured.

In total, nine people were killed — the assistant professor and eight students — and eight others were injured. Among the wounded was Chris Mintz, a U.S. Army veteran and fitness-training student, who helped block a door to let classmates escape and warned others to evacuate before being shot multiple times by Harper-Mercer.

Following the shooting, ATF agents searched the campus for explosives. Six firearms were recovered from the scene, and eight more were found at Harper-Mercer's apartment; all weapons were reported to have been purchased legally by him or family members. Harper-Mercer had been on academic probation at UCC. He left writings describing sexual frustration, isolation, and admiration for other mass killers, including the perpetrator of the 2014 Isla Vista attacks. His mother later told investigators he had been prescribed medication that did not seem to help and that he watched videos of killings online.

Public officials, including Oregon Governor Kate Brown and President Barack Obama, responded to the shooting, with Obama ordering flags flown at half-staff and later announcing further executive action on gun policy. Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin declined to name the shooter publicly. A memorial for the victims was unveiled in December 2016.