Initial Probe Finds Oregon Shooting Suspect Hated Organized Religion, Admired Other Mass Shooters

An initial probe into the mass shooting that took place in Oregon on Thursday has found that the shooter may have been fueled by a hatred toward organized religion.

Media outlets report that initial investigation into the 26-year-old suspect's social media accounts indicate heavy criticism for organized religion and an admiration of other suspects who have carried  out mass attacks in the U.S.

The suspect, identified as Chris Harper Mercer, reportedly entered Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon on Thursday morning armed with six guns, ammunition and a flak jacket with steel plates.

The shooter, who reportedly owns 14 firearms in all, then began entering classrooms and attacking students. Eyewitness accounts indicate that Mercer reportedly asked students if they were Christian before shooting them in the head.

"He seems to be someone who was very anti-organized religion and was suffering from all sorts of self-worth issues," a law enforcement official who had been briefed on the shooting told the New York Times. "It does not appear like he was part of some larger group."

President Obama condemned Thursday's shooting in a somber address from the White House, arguing that more regulation must be placed on firearms to avoid such shootings in the future.

According to The Washington Post, the gunman reportedly used social media to discuss other shooters, recently referencing the gunman who killed two Virginia news journalists earlier this summer before killing himself.

"On an interesting note, I have noticed that so many people like him are all alone and unknown, yet when they spill a little blood, the whole world knows who they are," Mercer reportedly wrote in a social media post.