The man named as the US college gunman who killed at least nine people before being fatally shot in a standoff with police was originally from the UK, it has been reported.
Chris Harper Mercer was said to have been born in England before moving across the Atlantic as a child, according to US reports: his stepsister Carmen Nesnick told CBS Los Angeles that he travelled to the US as a young boy.
The 26-year-old, whose social media profiles featured content supporting the IRA, apparently demanded to know his victims’ religious beliefs before opening fire at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.
Authorities, who initially refused to name the gunman, shed no light on his motive and said they were investigating. Several people remain injured in hospital.
It is the 45th school shooting in the US this year.
The gunman’s father, Ian Harper, said he was “just as shocked as everybody” at his son’s actions. Speaking from his home in the US, Harper, who has an English accent, told reporters: “I’ve just been talking to the police and the FBI and all the details I have right now is what you guys [reporters] have already.
“I can’t answer any questions right now, I don’t want to answer any questions right now. It’s been a devastating day, devastating for me and my family. Shocked is all I can say.”
