In yet another campus shooting in the United States, a gunman killed 10 people before being shot dead at the Umpqua Community College in the state of Oregon on Thursday. However, the mass killing seemed to be religiously motivated as per latest reports.
The gunman, believed to be 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer, reportedly asked victims for their religion before shooting them, witnesses have reportedly said.
A witness said that the gunman barged into a classroom, and after ordering everyone to lay on the ground, he asked each person to stand up and name their religion. He then opened fire, the witness reportedly said, but it is not clear which religious community the shooter was targeting.
However, as per some reports the gunman singled out Christians and shot them in the head.
The shooter reportedly told his victims ''Good, because you're a Christian, you're going to see God in just about one second,' before shooting them, the father of a student who was shot told CNN.
He said that one of the professors who was a Christian was shot point blank, and the gunman said, "I've been waiting to do this for years."
The Orgeon gunman was said to be carrying as many as four firearms, and officials described him as "an angry young man who was very filled with hate", according to The New York Times.
At least 20 people, including students and teachers, were wounded in the shooting before the gunman was shot dead by the police.
US President Barack Obama condemned the Oregon shooting and stressed on gun control in the country.
"We are the only advanced country in the world that sees these shootings every few months," Obama said from the White House.
