A gunman has barged into Oregon community college on Thursday and opened fire, killing at least a dozen people before dying in a shootout with police, authorities said. The killer, identified as a 20-year-old man, invaded into a classroom and demanded  the students to stand up and disclose their religion, before spraying bullets, one student reported. The gunman went from building to building and shooting students at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg.

A traumatized Kiwi basketball player, Gerrand witnessed the massacre, he said, he was outside of class when the shooting occurred. "I was walking past one of my classes and then just heard gunshots, saw people falling pretty much, I didn't know who they were but, there was all just a rush of things, and people just running." Gerrand has been in the US for just three weeks.

Oregon's attorney general had confirmed 13 people were dead, but this was revised to 10 and it was unknown whether the shooter was included in that count. The county sheriff has declined to release the name of the shooter or any of the victims, however two law enforcement sources said the killer is Mercer. FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele also declined to provide other information about the shooter. Four guns have been recovered from the crime scene

"Somehow shootings have become routine," President Obama said, following the killings.

"The US is the only country on Earth that sees these kind of mass shootings every few months. Great Britain, Australia has been able to craft laws that prevent mass shootings. The idea that the US Constitution prohibits any modest regulation of how deadly weapons are used doesn't make sense. Right now I can imagine the press releases being cranked out. We need more guns they'll argue, fewer gun safety laws. Does anybody really believe that? There are scores of responsible gun owners in this country. They know that's not true."

"There's nothing you can do to prevent someone, even someone who is mentally ill, from getting a gun if they want it." Something can be done if we try hard enough. For example, following the tragic 2014 mass shooting in Isla Vista, California passed a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) policy GVRO, a life-saving reform that allows family members and / or law enforcement to petition a judge to temporarily remove firearms from a loved one in crisis, said Andy Parker, who’s daughter Alison was shot dead on live television on August 26th.

By Premji