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Governor, Sen. Wyden and Sen. Merkley Speak in Roseburg

ROSEBURG, OR -- Umpqua Community College remains closed, following the deadly shooting where nine people were killed and a number of others were wounded in a classroom, Thursday morning. The gunman died during a shootout with police.

 

Governor Kate Brown held a news conference Friday, from Roseburg. She said, "As we move forward, we can honor lives lost by remember to be a caring community. This is a very difficult time, especially for those in Douglas County whose lives were changed by the events of yesterday."

 

No victims have been officially identified. That information is expected to be released by the Medical Examiner's office later today.

 

The gunman's motive remains under investigation. Authorities found six firearms at the school and another seven at his apartment. Governor Brown says action must be taken to prevent these tragedies, but says that discussion is for another day. "Oregon has worked constructively to stop these tragedies, but they keep happening here and across the country. We have to decide we want them to stop. There's no single solution. We must and will do better to prevent senseless violence."

 

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) was at the press conference and said his family moved to Roseburg when he was in the first grade. He says UCC has joined a list of mass shootings no one wants to be on. "Eighteen schools have had shootings in 2015 and there have been 45 mass shootings in the U.S. this year. So, we will be carrying in our hearts, not only the sorrow and grief, but the responsibility of pondering what we can do to prevent the list from continuing to grow as it has." He says a great-granddaughter of one of his first cousins was killed in the shooting. 

 

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) also spoke, saying he believes Oregon can lead the way to prevent these violence tragedies. "For the future, it's clear it does need to be about more than words and good intentions. As a country, we can't just shrug our shoulders and move on." He says we need to strike a compromise that deals with rights and responsibilities. 

 

College officials say the campus will reopen sometime early next week.

 

Photo Credit: OregonLive.com

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