Oregon Shooting Suspect Killed Self As Authorities Arrived

Chris Harper Mercer, the shooter that killed nine people and wounded seven others at a community college in Oregon, killed himself as authorities arrived, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department said Saturday.

Mercer, 26, was aformer resident of Torrance, where he attended Switzer Learning Center, a school for students with learning disabilities and emotional issues, according to a published report.

A stepsister of the suspect, Carmen Nesnick of Tarzana, told NBC4 Mercer was “a nice guy” and that his family is in shock.

Former neighbors in Torrance reported that he was quiet and often wore camouflage pants and boots, according to NBC4.

The Daily Breeze reported that the suspect lived with his mother in a ground-floor apartment in Torrance from 2011 to 2013.

--City News Service contributed to this report. Photo from MySpace