Heroic teacher warned classrooms to evacuate during the Oregon college shooting

'She saved us all'

A shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg left 10 people dead with one teacher shot in the head by a gunman described only to be in his 20's.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Terrifying and traumatic stories were shared by the survivors of the recent open fire at the Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Ten people were killed while others managed to escape wounded but alive following the incident.

The shooter, identified as 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer, killed at least 10 people at the school before police managed to shoot him. Mercer died as a result.

One survivor said the gunman made the victims state their religion before shooting. Another saw her teacher shot in the head, while others hid in dark rooms trying to escape the gunman's attention.

Kortney Moore managed to survive by laying next to the dead victims. According to Moore, she was in her writing class when the first bullet burst through the window. The gunman later entered the building, shot Moore's teacher in the head and told everyone to drop on the ground. 

He later shot the students one by one after they stated their religions. Student Chris Mintz was shot five times but miraculously survived and is recovering at the hospital. 

Another survivor, 17-year-old Cheyenne Fitzgerald, lost a kidney during the shootout but is in recovery.

Hannah Miles recalls how her teacher saved lives during the incident. Teacher Amy Fair knocked on doors and windows, instructing everyone to leave. Miles believes her teacher saved the people in those classrooms. 

"I think she saved us. She saved us all," she told USA Today. The group managed to enter a locked room in the library and remained safe during the chaos.

Freshman student Kenny Ungerman told NBC he saw the shooter enter the building dressed in jeans and a T-shirt while carrying a handgun. He then heard gunshots and screams. 

Cassandra Welding thinks she heard around 35 to 40 shots during the ordeal.

"We have an active shooter at UCC," the operator of the emergency broadcast said as police cars rushed to the school. Several ambulances were sent to the school by 911 operators. 

The shooter was later shot while standing next to the library. An officer can be heard on a dispatch recording saying, "The suspect is down."

Victims were brought to the PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center and three women were flown to a hospital in Riverbend to be treated. Others were transported to local fairgrounds where eager parents waited to see if their child was safe.

College president Rita Calvin said, "We have grief counselors waiting for those parents who have no children getting off the bus."

The college will remain close until Monday and a candlelight vigil was scheduled that night. Local authorities reported the casualties have yet to be identified and the process would take at least 24 hours.

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