UCC

Nine Dead in a Roseburg Writing Class: The Community College Shooting That Made a President Furious

Thursday, October 1, 2015ORactive shooteremergency notificationmedium confidence

Confirmed Threat

On October 1, 2015, 26-year-old student Chris Harper-Mercer opened fire in Snyder Hall Room 15 at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, during an Introduction to Expository Writing class, killing 9 people (an assistant professor and 8 students) and wounding 8 others. Police arrived at the hallway of Snyder Hall six minutes after the first 911 call at 10:44 AM PDT and exchanged fire with the gunman, who then killed himself. The campus emergency alert system failed to send mass notifications, though a facilities secretary emailed a lockdown notice at 10:42 AM.

Alerts: 3
Response: —
Killed: 9
Injured: 8

Institution

Umpqua Community College

Community College · OR

~3,300 students

Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmailOct 1, 2015, 5:42 PM MST

Approximate reconstruction180 chars

LOCKDOWN: Active shooter on campus. All buildings are in lockdown. Do not leave your building. Stay away from windows and doors. Wait for further instructions from law enforcement.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

This campuswide email was sent by a secretary in the facilities department at 10:42 AM PDT on October 1, 2015, just four minutes after the first 911 call, showing individual initiative when the formal alert system failed

The formal emergency mass notification system did not successfully alert students and faculty during the shooting

UPDATEEmailApproximately 11:00 AM PDT on October 1, 2015

Approximate reconstruction228 chars

UCC UPDATE: Active shooter situation at Snyder Hall. Law enforcement is on scene. Campus remains in full lockdown. Do not attempt to leave buildings. Emergency medical personnel are responding. Avoid the area around Snyder Hall.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

By this time, the shooting had already ended with the gunman's death at approximately 10:48 AM PDT on October 1, 2015, but the lockdown remained in effect as law enforcement cleared the campus building by building

ALL CLEAREmailEarly afternoon on October 1, 2015

Approximate reconstruction224 chars

UCC ALERT: The lockdown has been lifted. The campus is closed until further notice. The situation has been resolved. Anyone needing immediate counseling assistance should contact Douglas County Mental Health at 541-440-3532.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The campus remained closed for an extended period following the shooting as investigators processed the crime scene in Snyder Hall

Context

Background

The Umpqua Community College shooting was the deadliest mass shooting at a community college in United States history. Harper-Mercer targeted a writing class in Snyder Hall, systematically asking victims about their religion before shooting them. The attack prompted an emotional response from President Obama, who expressed frustration that mass shootings had become routine. A critical finding was that the campus emergency alert system failed to send mass notifications during the crisis, though a facilities secretary took the initiative to send a campuswide email at 10:42 AM PDT on October 1, 2015, four minutes after the first 911 call. The first officers arrived at Snyder Hall at 10:44 AM, six minutes after the initial call, and exchanged gunfire with Harper-Mercer, who then killed himself. As a small rural community college, UCC had limited campus police resources compared to large universities.

Analysis

Key Findings

The formal campus emergency alert system failed during the shooting, and notification was only possible because a facilities secretary manually sent a campuswide email

Police arrived at Snyder Hall six minutes after the first 911 call and engaged the shooter, who then killed himself

As a small rural community college with 3,300 students, UCC had limited security infrastructure compared to large universities

The shooting was the deadliest mass shooting at a community college in US history and prompted a nationally televised presidential address on gun violence

Outcome

Nine people were killed (an assistant professor and eight students) and eight others were wounded. The shooter, Chris Harper-Mercer, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being wounded by responding officers (the shooter is not counted in killed). President Obama delivered an emotional national address calling for gun control.

Provenance

Sources

reference
2015 Umpqua Community College shooting - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
national media
Timeline of Umpqua Community College Shooting - Calibre Press
calibrepress.com
national media
Campus Alerts: Are They Fast Enough in Shootings? - GovTech
govtech.com
Official
Statement by the President on the Shootings at Umpqua Community College - White House Archives
obamawhitehouse.archives.gov
national media
Umpqua Community College Shooting Leaves at Least 10 Dead - ABC News
abcnews.go.com

Alert Sequence

Background

Key Findings

Sources

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