Brit dad of college massacre gunman: 'We're devastated'

THE British dad of a gunman who massacred nine people at a US college told of his horror today.
Ian Mercer told reporters outside his home: “I am just as shocked as anybody at what happened.
“I’ve just been talking to the police and the FBI and all the details I have is what you know already.
“I can’t answer any questions right now. I don’t want to answer any questions right now. Obviously it’s been a devastating day, devastating for me and my family.”

His son Chris Harper-Mercer rampaged through the science block of the Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, killing nine and injuring at least seven – three of whom are critical.
The twisted 26-year-old ordered his victims to line up and singled out Christians who were murdered with an execution-style shot to the head.
Those of other religions were shot in the leg, witnesses said.

Chris Harper-Mercer warned of massacre online

Harper-Mercer was killed by cops in a shoot-out.
His parents Ian and Laurel Harper are thought to have lived in England before returning America.
Stacey Boylan’s 18-year-old daughter Ana Boylan was in hospital last night after being wounded by the shooter in her classroom and told her dad of the terror from her hospital bed.

Ex-student Donice Smith, left, in tears after her former teacher was shot dead Steve Dipaola/Reuters

Stacey said: “He came in and there was gunfire immediately. He shot the professor point blank.
“He asked people one by one what their religion was. ‘Are you a Christian?’ he would ask them. ‘If you’re a Christian stand up’.
“He then said, ‘Good, because you’re a Christian you’re going to see God in about one second’. Then he shot and killed them. He kept going down the line and doing this to people.”

Survivor Hannah Miles is reunited with her sister Hailey and dad Gary AP Photo/Ryan Kang

A woman who said her grandmother was inside the class wrote in a tweet: “The shooter was lining people up and asking if they were Christian.
“If they said yes, then they were shot in the head. If they said no, or didn’t answer, they were shot in the legs.
“My grandma just got to my house, and she was in the room. She wasn’t shot, but she is very upset.”

Students at a candlelit vigil last night AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

Harper-Mercer describes himself online as “mixed race”, a “conservative Republican” and “pagan, wiccan, not religious”.
He expressed his support for the IRA and Nazis on social media.

Sheriff's officers hunt for the gunman Michael Sullivan /The News-Review via AP

The killer’s stepsister Carmen Nesnick said: “I’m actually still shaking and my mom is in there crying. I don’t know what to do.
“All he ever did was put everybody before himself. He wanted everyone to be happy. No matter if he was sad or mad, he would always try to cheer up everybody.
“It doesn’t sound right. It doesn’t sound like something he would have to go through. He didn’t have to go through that.”

Police searching a residential address last night REUTERS/Steve Dipaola

The shooter also paid tribute to Vester Flanagan, the former newsreader who shot dead two former colleagues live on air in Virginia in August.
Flanagan filmed his killings and posted them online.

Harper-Mercer wrote: “I have noticed that so many people like him are all alone and unknown, yet when they spill a little blood, the whole world knows who they are.
“A man who was known by no one, is now known by everyone.
“His face splashed across every screen, his name across the lips of every person on the planet, all in the course of one day.
“Seems the more people you kill, the more you’re in the limelight.”

A girl prays at the vigil in Roseburg, Oregon Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

And just three days ago Harper-Mercer uploaded BBC documentary This World: Surviving Sandy Hook to a file-sharing site.
It is about the massacre of 20 children and six staff at a primary school in Connecticut in 2012.
Harper-Mercer also boasted about his plans for the attack on web forum 4chan and was encouraged by other users.

The science block where the massacre took place KPTV/Universal News And Sport

Using a frog with a gun as his profile picture, he wrote on Wednesday: “Some of you guys are alright. Don’t go to school tomorrow if you are in the northwest.
“Happening thread will be posted tomorrow morning. So long space robots.”
He was encouraged to “do it” by one of the fellow forum users while one called it the “beta uprising”.

One user advised him on what type of gun to use and suggested “a powerful assault rifle and a pistol”.
Another user said: “It takes a great man to do great things. Become legendary.”
He was armed with four guns, a rifle and three pistols, to launch his attack and was wearing body armour.