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SHOOTING AT UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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OK wolf killings
• Former La Grande resident survives mass shooting at UCC
• Despite five confirmed attacks, state won't authorize killings
By Dick Mason The Observer
Kerrie Wylam may never know who pounded on the door of the break room in the adminislration building at Umpqua Community College late Thursday morning. What Wylam does know is that she is lucky to be alive and unharmed.
By Eric Mortenson East Oregonian Media Group
Wylam, the director of Eastern O regon Wyla m University's regional center at Umpqua Community College, is among those who survived the mass shooting at UCC, one that left nine dead and seven wounded. "I'm fine. You appreciate what you have iafter such an experience)," Wylam said Thursday afternoon, about three hours after perhaps the longest two hours of her life. Wylam, who grew up in La Grande, was in her office in UCC's administration building when she received an email at 10:20 a.m. indicating that there was an active shooter on campus. She and about 20 other people immediately went into the building's break room, turned out the lights, closedthe blinds and barricadeditsdoorshut. They remained hunkered down in the room for the next two hours. "It was dead silent," Wylam said. Once, however, someone pounded forcefully violently on the door before walking away. Wylam doubts the individual was a stafFmember since almost everyone in the
TheAssociated Press
Friends and family are reunited with students at the local fairgrounds after a deadly shooting Thursday at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg.
• At least nine killed by gunman duringmorning writing classat Roseburg college WASHIHGTOH
The Associated Press
ROSEBURG —Armed with multiple guns, a 26-year-old man walked into a morning writing class at the community college in this rural Oregon town and opened fire, hitting some students with multiple gunshots. A witnesssaid a teacher was struck in the head. At least nine people were killed by the gunman and seven others were
The worst mass shooting in recent Oregon history was raising questions about security at Umpqua Community
College. "I suspect this is going to start a discussion across the country about how community colleges preparethemselves for events like this," said the college' sformer president, Joe Olson. The luller was tdenttfied as Chris Harper Mercer, See Shooting / Page5A
E ll caInyusshakendyshooting By Cherise Kaechele The Observer rrrriss orircUN uiilvEAslrr
It's becoming a repetitive experience. Open a m edia page orturn on the television to read reports of another mass shooting. The tragedy in Roseburg Thursday hit closer to home since the shooting, which left approximately nine dead and at least seven injured, occurred in Oregon — and on a campus of a similar size to Eastern Oregon University. Every time a tragedy like this happens, it forces people to wonder: What if this happened here?
building had a badgefor unlocking doors electroni-
cally. A 1990 Eastern graduate, Wylam said the See Wylam / Page5A
INDEX
WE A T H E R
Calendar........7A Classified.......1B Comics...........7B Crossword.....2B Dear Abby .....SB
before shooting them on Thursday, the fourth day of classes at Umpqua ComPortland munity College. OREGON Students in a classroom next door heard several shots, one right after the HEVAOA next, and their teacher told them to leave. Student 75 km Hannah Miles said ewe 75 miles OALIFORHIA began to run.A lotofmy classmateswere going evSource AP ery which way. We started Graphic TNS to run to the center of camwounded. One witness said pus. And I turned around, and I saw students pouring the attacker demanded to know students' religion out of the building."
By Jeff Bamard and Gosia Wozniacka
Health ............6C Opinion..........4A Horoscope.....2B Outdoors .......1C Lottery............2A Spiritual Life..6A Record ...........3A Sports ............9A Obituaries......3A Television ......3C
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Tim Mustoe/The Observer
There are several emergency assistance boxes on the Eastern Oregon University campus with a red button to press to summon help. Potentially, this box could warn people of a possible shooting on campus. EOU President Tom Insko, as well as Vice
President for Student Advancement Tim Seydel
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ODFW investigates reported livestock attacks but follows a strict protocol that includes examining wounds and measuring bite marks and tracks before confirming wolves were responsible.
Issue 116 3 sections, 26 pages La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas to newsC~lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A.
MONDAY IN HOME FOOTBALL MEANS IT'S TAILGATING TIME
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Strict protocol
CONTACT US
F ull forecast onthe backof B section
Friday 44 Low
and Student Services Vice President Xavier Romano, looked forlorn when asked that question. 'There have been many conversati ons beforemy time about what to do if something like that occurred here," Insko said. 'There's no perfect template to use if it were to occur." Seydel said that question is "routinely talked See Eastern / Page5A
Oregon wildlife officials won't authorize killing members of the Mount Emily wolf pack despite five confirmed attacks on a sheep herd since June. Under the state's wolf recovery plan, which moved into Phase 2 this year, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife can authorize lethal control of wolves after two confirmed "depredations," or one confirmed attack and threeattempts. But ODFW chose not to in thiscase,despitefourdocumented attacks by the Mount Emily pack in August and a fifth in June. At least seven sheep and a guard dog were killed in pack attacks investigated June 22, Aug. 4, Aug. 15, Aug. 24 and Aug. 27. The attacks would have qualified for lethal control even under Phase 1 of the recovery plan, which required four confirmed depredations over a six-month pertod. As required under the wolf plan, producer Jeremy Bingham ofUtopia Land and Livestock formally asked ODFW for "lethal relief from the wolves that are massacring our sheep." The department, which hasn't authorized killing any wolves since two in 2011, turned him down. In a Sept. 25 letter to Bingham, ODFW wildlife biologist Mark Kirsch said non-lethal measures had worked since the last attack in late August. ewe are sorry your experience with Oregon's forest lands has been problematic See Wolves / Page5A
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