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10 Dead And 7 Injured In Oregon College Shooting, Officials Say

Updated at 10:50 p.m. ET: After a shooting at a community college in western Oregon, 10 people are dead and seven others are wounded, according to the Douglas County sheriff. Officials would not say whether the shooter, who was killed by police in an exchange of gunfire on campus, was included in the 10 fatalities.

In a evening news conference, Sheriff John Hanlin said that investigators believe they know the name of the attacker, and it will be released by the medical examiner.

Several news organizations quote government and law enforcement sources as saying the shooter was Chris Harper Mercer, 26. NPR has not independently confirmed that identification.

President Obama spoke about the shooting Thursday evening, offering his condolences to the victims and their families before expressing frustration over the fact that mass shootings in America have become "routine."

The incident happened at Umpqua Community College in the city of Roseburg.

In an afternoon news conference, Hanlin said after receiving an emergency call, officers responded and "engaged the suspect. There was an exchange of gunfire, the [male] shooter was neutralized," he said, adding that the shooter was deceased. He said he did not know what type of weapon was used nor whether the shooter had been a student at the college.

Later, Hanlon said the officers who engaged the attacker were heroic, and the state police were handling the investigation of the officer-involved shooting.

Listen to Brady Winder, a student at the community college, describe what it was like to be in the classroom next to the shooting. He said he never "ran that fast in [his] life."

Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.