Oregon college gunman was kicked out of the Army in 2008 as it emerges police have found seven more weapons at his home - as well as six guns at school including assault rifle and three pistols

  • Chris Harper-Mercer, 26, was discharged from the U.S. Army after 5 weeks 
  • He was training at Fort Jackson but failed to meet 'minimum standards'
  • Oregon college gunman had 13 weapons in total, all purchased legally 
  • Seven were discovered at his home, with six guns found at the school 
  • Mercer killed at least nine people and wounded 20 before being shot dead

By Ollie Gillman and Chris Pleasance For Dailymail.com

Published: 12:38 EST, 2 October 2015 | Updated: 12:46 EST, 2 October 2015

The Oregon college gunman who killed nine people yesterday was discharged from a U.S. Army training center in 2008.

Chris Harper-Mercer, who died in a shoot-out with police after the massacre at Umpqua Community College, was kicked out of the Army while training at Fort Jackson. 

The Pentagon said Mercer was discharged after just five weeks of training in late 2008 after 'failing to meet the minimum administrative standards to serve in the U.S. Army'.

The revelation came as it emerged that investigators found seven weapons at Mercer's home overnight, as well as six at the school - more than previously thought.

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Oregon college gunman Chris Harper-Mercer was discharged from a U.S. Army training center in 2008

Oregon college gunman Chris Harper-Mercer was discharged from a U.S. Army training center in 2008

A bullet casing is marked at the scene of the deadly shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon

A bullet casing is marked at the scene of the deadly shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon

Of the six guns found at the school Mercer, 26, was known to be carrying an assault rifle, three pistols and two as yet unidentified weapons. 

This included a 9mm Glock pistol and a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson, which were both traced back to the deranged shooter.

He also had a .40-caliber Taurus pistol listed as being owned by someone in Portland and a .556-caliber Del-Ton, as well as five more ammo magazines, according to an official firearms report.  

While it is not yet known how the killer obtained the weapons used in the slaying, he is said to have owned them legally.

Under federal law, it is legal for licensed gun retailers, such as gun shops, to sell a handgun to people aged over 21, and rifles and shotguns to people aged over 18.

Oregon state law places an age limit of 18 on handguns and 'long guns', such as rifles or shotguns. 

Even if Harper-Mercer were unable to pass a background check, he could have bought his weapons from an unlicensed private seller, skirting the security measure (pictured, Oregon students comfort each other after the shooting)

Even if Harper-Mercer were unable to pass a background check, he could have bought his weapons from an unlicensed private seller, skirting the security measure (pictured, Oregon students comfort each other after the shooting)

State legislators did attempt to close the unlicensed seller loophole in recent months, but several rural sheriffs, including where the killings took place (pictured), said they had no intention of enforcing the law

State legislators did attempt to close the unlicensed seller loophole in recent months, but several rural sheriffs, including where the killings took place (pictured), said they had no intention of enforcing the law

This means that Mercer could have purchased all the weapons and ammunition used to carry out his crime legally, provided he could have passed a routine background check.

In Oregon you are prohibited from buying a firearm if you have a felony conviction, have been discharged from a juvenile court in the last four years, or have been diagnosed with a mental illness.

Assuming Mercer did not fall into any of these categories, he would have been able to obtain the weapons used in the killing through gun shops.

However, even if Mercer could not have passed a background check, a loophole in the law means he could have purchased the weapons from an unlicensed vendor, such as a private individual at a gun show, or on the internet.

Until very recently such sales, which are estimated to make up around 40 per cent of all gun trade in the U.S. according to Smart Gun Laws, were not subject to background checks in Oregon.  

On August 9 legislators in Oregon did attempt to close this loophole by requiring private sellers to pay for background checks at licensed gun dealers.

However, sheriffs in rural areas, including where today's shooting took place, said they had no intention of enforcing the new rule, NBC reports, saying it would require too much work.

That law would also only apply to purchases made after that date, whereas the killer could have bought his firearms before then. 

Obama this evening used his 15th press conference in the wake of a mass shooting to renew his calls for tougher gun licensing laws in the United States

Obama this evening used his 15th press conference in the wake of a mass shooting to renew his calls for tougher gun licensing laws in the United States

State law would also have allowed relatives of the killer to gift firearms to him, though it is unclear if this is how he obtained the weapons. 

The state does not require a permit for openly carrying a weapon in public, though one is required if you want to conceal the weapon either on foot or in a vehicle.

It is not clear if the weapons Mercer used were concealed, but he could have been in breach of state law if he had been stopped on the way to the killings with the guns hidden. 

It is also illegal to take a weapon on to school property unless it is unloaded and locked inside a vehicle - a law that Mercer clearly violated.

According to Mother Jones, which identified at least 61 mass shootings in the U.S. from 1982 to 2012, in 49 of those cases the killers had obtained the weapons they used legally.

The news site defined 'mass shooting' as the killing of four or more people where terrorist ideology or criminal profit was not the aim.

Shortly after the shooting, President Barack Obama addressed the nation demanding stronger gun laws, saying that the country has become 'numb' to these mass shootings. 

According to witnesses, Harper-Mercer went through the school campus, demanding that his victims lay on the ground. 

He then made them stand up one at a time and state their religion before opening fire according to one traumatized eyewitness.

Harper-Mercer's spree continued until police officers arrived and shot him dead.  

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