A teenager survived a mass shooting at an Oregon college because the gunman believed she was dead, her father said.
Randy
Scroggins said the attacker ignored his daughter Lacey because she was
covered by the body and blood of another victim. Instead the gunman shot
dead another student.
Nine people were killed in the shooting at a community college in Oregon.
The gunman, Chris Harper Mercer, 26, shot himself dead after exchanging fire with police.
The victims ranged in age from 18 to 67. Eight were students while the oldest was a teacher.
Mr
Scroggins, a pastor, said he was indebted to the family of 20-year-old
Treven Anspach, who was shot after Mercer passed over his daughter.
"I will say thank you for giving birth to the one that saved my baby."
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Mr Scroggins also said his daughter told him Mercer had spared one student to deliver a message to the authorities.
Other
students' relatives have backed up the account: Bonnie Schaan, mother
of Cheyeanne Fitzgeral, said she was told by her 16-year-old daughter
the gunman told a classmate they were "going to be the lucky one".
Media captionSharon Kirkham: "He shot my best friend three times"
It is unclear why Mercer carried out the killings. The authorities have not released the contents of notes left by him.
Two
survivors have said religion was an issue - the gunman asked his
victims to state their religion and shot dead the Christians.
Police discovered 14 weapons at his home and the college.
His
father, Ian Mercer, told CNN he had no idea how his son had amassed
such an arsenal and said the attack would not have happened if the US
had stricter gun control laws.
President Barack Obama on Friday
expressed his anger at gun violence, calling on the public to press
their politicians to support reform.
Image copyrightReutersImage caption
A vigil has been held for the victims of the Umpqua Community College shooting
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