The Oregon college gunman who had killed nine people yesterday was discharged from a U.S. Army training center during 2008.
Chris Harper-Mercer, who died in a shoot-out with police after the massacre at Umpqua Community College, was kicked out of the Army while training at Fort Jackson.
The Pentagon said Mercer was discharged after just five weeks of training in late 2008 because after ‘failing to meet the minimum administrative standards to serve in the U.S. Army’.
The revelation came as it emerged that investigators found seven weapons at Harper-Mercer’s home overnight, as well as six at the school – more than previously thought.
He was already known to be carrying a rifle, three pistols and body armor during the slaying in Roseburg.
Of the six guns found at the school Mercer, 26, was known to be carrying an assault rifle, three pistols and two as yet unidentified weapons.
This included a 9mm Glock pistol and a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson, which were both traced back to the deranged shooter.
He also had a .40-caliber Taurus pistol listed as being owned by someone in Portland and a .556-caliber Del-Ton, as well as five more ammo magazines, according to an official firearms report.
Under federal law, it is legal for licensed gun retailers, such as gun shops, to sell a handgun to people aged over 21, and rifles and shotguns to people aged over 18.
This means that Mercer could have purchased all the weapons and ammunition used to carry out his crime legally, provided he could have passed a routine background check.
In Oregon you are prohibited from buying a firearm if you have a felony conviction, have been discharged from a juvenile court in the last four years, or have been diagnosed with a mental illness.
Assuming Mercer did not fall into any of these categories, he would have been able to obtain the weapons used in the killing through gun shops.
