Oregon shooter committed suicide: police

Oregon's state medical examiner has determined that the gunman took his own life, police said on Saturday.

Investigators had earlier believed that police responding to an emergency call shot the gunman dead.

The gunman, identified as 26-year-old Christopher Harper-Mercer (pictured), stormed the classroom of his introductory writing course at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, on Thursday. He shot an English professor at point-blank range before picking off eight other victims one at a time, asking their religion and whether they were Christians.

The ages of the nine people killed ranged from 18 to 67. Four were women and five were men. Nine people were also wounded, three critically.

Gunman owned 14 weapons

An additional handgun has been found in the shooter's apartment, bringing the total number of weapons he possessed to 14; eight from his home, and six that he took to the college.

Investigators are still trying to determine how the gunman obtained the weapons, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin told reporters on Saturday.

Hanlin said the two officers attending the scene arrived within five minutes of an emergency call and that they engaged and "neutralized" the gunman two minutes later. He would not elaborate.

It was revealed on Friday that Harper-Mercer was once turned away from a firearms academy. The instructor recalled finding him "weird" and "a little bit too anxious" for high-level weapons training.

US President Barack Obama has voiced his deep personal anger over "routine" mass shootings in the United States. He has made 15 calls for stricter gun control legislation since taking office in 2009.

jr/cmk (Reuters, dpa)