Oregon Shooter Targeted Christians, Witnesses Say

The shooter who opened fire on a community college in Oregon on Thursday, killing 9, is said to have singled out Christians, eyewitnesses report.

Witnesses of the 10-minute massacre at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon have said that the 20-year-old shooter, who was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police, reportedly entered classrooms and asked students if they were Christian before opening fire. 

The father of Anastasia Boylan, who was shot in the spine, told CNN of the story he heard from his daughter regarding the gunman's actions.

"He said, 'Good, because you're a Christian, you're going to see God in just about one second,'" the student's father told CNN, adding "And then he shot and killed them."

Another account by Autumn Vicari, whose brother was present in a classroom when the shooting broke out, claimed that the gunman reportedly shot all Christians in the head, while people of other religions were wounded only in the leg.

U.S. President Barack Obama chided Thursday's shooting, arguing that more must be done to prevent mass school shootings in the nation.

Amid the tragedy of the attack, social media users are praising one man, an Army veteran by the name of Chris Mintz, who had reportedly acted heroically during the shooting to try to save students.

Although details on Mintz's actions remain unclear, Mintz's aunt, Sheila Brown, told NBC News that they have heard of Mintz's heroic actions on Thursday.

The Army vet was reportedly shot seven times and had two broken legs.

"We're not sure how his legs got broken," she said. "He was on the wrestling team and and he's done cage-fighting so it does not surprise me that he would act heroically."

"It was a great, great shock [...] We've all been sitting on pins and needles and praying very hard," Brown added.