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Police: Oregon shooter killed himself as officers approached

by Bradford Richardson - 10/03/15 3:44 PM ET

The gunman in the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon died by suicide, police said Saturday.

{mosads}Douglas County sheriff John Hanlin said in a press conference that Chris Harper Mercer took his own life after a firefight with police.

The determination was made after an autopsy. Police had not previously released the cause of death.

The gunman stormed the college Thursday, killing nine people and injuring seven. He reportedly asked students whether they were Christians, killing those who answered affirmatively.

The 26-year-old male was a student at Umpqua enrolled in the class where he opened fire.

The killer, reportedly a gun collector who often went to a shooting range, was armed with three pistols and a semiautomatic rifle.

The victims from the shooting are Lucero Alcaraz, 19; Quinn Glen Cooper, 18; Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59; Lucas Eibel, 18; Jason Dale Johnson, 33; Lawrence Levine, 67; Sarena Dawn Moore, 44; Treven Taylor Anspach, 20; and Rebecka Ann Carnes, 18.

Levine was the teacher in the classroom.

President Obama ordered flags to be flown at half-mast in honor of the victims.

– Updated at 4:07 p.m.

Tags Umpqua Community College