Nature
Vs Nurture
Umpqua Community College Shooting
The shooting of Umpqua Community College occurred on October 1, 2015 in Roseburg, Oregon. The perpetrator was identified as Chris Mercer, a 26 year old male enrolled at the school. Mercer, armed with 6 firearms, extra ammunition, and body armor, showed up to his Writing 115 class around 10:30 and began shooting. According to witnesses, he lined people up and asked if they were Christian; if they answered yes, he would say "Good, because you're a Christian, you're going to see God in just about one second." Then he shot them in the head. If they answered no, he would shoot them somewhere else. All in all, this culimated in the deaths of 9 people killed and an additional 9 people injured. Mercer then proceeded to kill himself following an altercation with police 14. A hero arose out of this event as well, shedding a ray of hope and positiveness on the community; Chris Mintz, a veteran, rushed in to help and save lives15.
Background
The aftermath of the shooting was felt well beyond Oregon's borders; the whole United States was affected in someway by either touching stories, fear, or a renewed talk on gun policies. President Obama, very antigun has recently spurred talks of increased gun control following the Oregon shooting. According to Obama, “thoughts and prayers are not enough." Also, a renewed focus on mental health spurred out of this event, especially among GOP candidates. Overall, the shooting at Umpqua Commnity College led to debate among politicians about gun policies and mental health16.
Reaction
Motive
Following the shooting, investigators looked into Mercer's past to see what his motive might have been.They found that he suffered from mental health problems; he typed a note before the shooting saying he was lonely and other mass shootings had inspired him. Also, according to people who knew him, he was a quiet, withdrawn man who would open up when talking about guns. According to his acquaintances, he was very passionate about guns, although none of them were aware that he owned 13 firearms. Also, investigators found that he was obsessed with religion and believed in white supremacy17.