Oregon shooter Chris Harper-Mercer was a friendless oddball

Home Top

Rains not seen for 200 YEARS: Two dead, 22 million on flood-watch and New Jersey homes already consumed by high tides in bombardment of weekend storms dubbed a 'slow motion disaster'
'You're the lucky one': Survivor tells how Oregon killer 'made student watch as his classmates were gunned down, gave him a package and spared his life'
Police reveal Oregon college shooter committed SUICIDE as his father tells how his gun stash was a secret and demands tighter gun control
Oregon college shooter's mom boasted about her gun collection online and said she would openly carry an assault rifle 'when the mood strikes'
EXCLUSIVE: Roseburg residents say 'town will never be the same again' as survivors can't bear to see classroom where the shooting unfolded
EXCLUSIVE: Oregon survivor reveals that she only lived because a shot student covered her with his body and hid her from the gunman seconds before he died in a pool of blood
'I didn't get a good feeling about him': Oregon college shooter was turned away from California firearms academy by an instructor who found him 'too anxious'
'I would have tried!' Paris train hero Alek Skarlatos says he would have tackled college shooter as he cancels DWTS rehearsals to return to home
'People slip through the cracks': Trump joins 'stuff happens' Bush to dismiss calls for stricter laws on gun control in wake of Oregon shooting
Nursing student who survived the Oregon college shooting tells how her friend tragically died in her arms after being shot
Anti gun control sheriff leading Roseburg investigations shared sickening Sandy Hook conspiracy video on Facebook which claimed grieving parents were ACTORS
Saved by a 'gut feeling': Student, 19, reveals how she almost walked into gunman's path - but premonition told her to stay away
The new Steve Jobs biopic is a travesty, says his ex. Cold? Ruthless? Obsessive? No, he was FAR worse than that. He denied he was the father of our child and was...ROTTEN TO THE CORE
Joe Biden tells Human Rights Campaign activists the 'shrill' voices against gay rights won't win, but homophobes still exist - 'most of them are running for president'
Gay former student of the pope who met with him in the nation's capitol said he is '500 per cent sure' the pontiff did not initiate meeting with anti-gay clerk Kim Davis
Brooklyn gas explosion levels apartment building killing one woman and injuring three others
U.S. military identifies six airmen killed in Afghanistan plane crash that left five civilian contractors dead and an unknown number of casualties on the ground
Secret Service agents view Hillary as 'worst duty assignment' and 'consider being assigned to her detail a form of punishment'
Woman arrested by police after 'punching 10-year-old boy in the face because she thought he had bad manners'
Married Arizona teachers arrested in sexual misconduct case after husband 'had three-year relationship with 15-year-old student'
Unlike! Judge REFUSES to dismiss fraud charges against Mark Zuckerberg by neighbor who claims Facebook founder conned him into $1.7million property deal
Make sure the kitchen's nice, fix up your bathroom... and don't forget the LIGHTS! Celebrity real estate agent Fredrik Eklund reveals the secrets to selling your home for top dollar
EXCLUSIVE: Why did missing cargo ship sail straight INTO Hurricane Joaquin? Fearful wife of crewmember demands answers amid prayers for those on board
EXCLUSIVE: Wife of El Faro captain believes her husband is just 'waiting out' the storm after the cargo ship with 33 crew members on board VANISHED in the Bermuda Triangle during Hurricane Joaquin

Chris Harper-Mercer lived with his mother Laurel in Torrance, California until 2013
He was a 'paranoid' and 'childlike' character who circled his neighborhood on a bicycle and 'freaked out' at the smallest things
The shooter was spotted carrying a handgun case
He always wore the same outfit, 'a very military-type style, camo shorts with a bunch of pockets
Reina Webb told Daily Mail Online: ‘His main thing was his bike. He rode it everywhere. One day the tires were popped; he was screaming, ‘F**k, f**k'

By Ryan Parry West Coast Correspondent For Dailymail.com In Torrance, California and Grant Hodgson In Torrance, California For Dailymail.com

Published: 18:07 EST, 2 October 2015 | Updated: 17:22 EST, 3 October 2015

626

View
comments

Oregon shooter Chris Harper-Mercer was a 'paranoid' and 'childlike' character who circled his neighborhood on a bicycle and 'freaked out' at the smallest things, former neighbors of the mass killer have revealed.

In one incident the 26-year-old threw a fit when he suspected someone had slashed the tires on his bicycle.

He was so angry that he 'freaked out like it was the end of the world' and screamed profanities at the top of his voice outside his home at an apartment block in Torrance, California.

Former neighbors also believe they saw the gun enthusiast carrying a small Smith & Wesson handgun case just before he moved out of the small apartment two years ago.

Scroll down for video

Former neighbor Julia Winstead - who is blind - recalled a time the gunman's mom asked her to sign a petition to get rid of the cockroach problem in their complex and other difficulties living next to the Mercers

Former neighbor Reina Webb, 19, told Daily Mail Online: ‘His main thing was using his bike.

‘He rode it everywhere. It was a red cruiser. He was well-known locally because everyone knew he had that bike.

‘There is a bike lot underneath my window where he would lock his bike.

‘One day, someone had either slashed his tires or the tires had popped. He was screaming, ‘F**k, f**k, f**k.

‘Yelling and having a fit. I could hear him say, ‘Mom, they’ve cut my tires.

‘He was freaking out like it was the end of the world.

‘It was a crazy, crazy, fit. His mom was like, ‘Calm down, calm down. It’s okay.

‘But he would get that upset. After that his bike didn’t move for ages. It was just locked up at the bike rack.’

Harper-Mercer formerly lived in South Bay, California, and attended a school for teens with emotional disabilities.

The 26-year-old lived in the ground-floor apartment with his mother, Laurel Harper, from 2011 to 2013.

Neighbors recalled Harper-Mercer being ‘strange’ with ‘no friends’ and one spotted him carrying a gun case.

Reina said: ‘One of my neighbors said they once saw him carrying a gun case.

‘A small one, for a handgun, like a Smith & Wesson.

Reina Webb claims to have seen carrying around a gun on several occasions

Harper-Mercer's former apartment complex and front door are pictured here in Torrance, California

‘Thinking about it, I did see him carrying a case around on a couple of occasions but I don’t know what it was.

‘He had no friends. No-one came to visit him.

‘He would just bike around the neighborhood by himself.

‘His mom was a real nice lady. An African-American lady.

‘She was a nurse. She was friendly and sociable.’

Reina described Harper-Mercer as ‘childlike’ and said he would throw temper-tantrums to get his own way.

‘He was a grown man but would act very childish,’ she said.

‘He would have temper tantrums and fits if he didn’t get his own way.

‘He always wore combat boots, cargo shorts and T-shirts, too. Always the same outfit.

‘It was a very military-type style. Camo or beige. His shorts would have a bunch of pockets.

‘I always thought he was ‘special needs’ or something because of his off behavior.

‘He never used the swimming pool here, either. Never.

‘I always thought that was strange because when it’s hot, it’s really hot and it’s the best thing to cool down.’

Reina said the family left abruptly in 2013.

Neighbors say the gunman never used the community pool, even in the sweltering heat

Lists of South Bay graduates from 2009 published in the Daily Breeze showed Harper-Mercer graduated from the Switzer Learning Center in Torrance with four other students. Switzer teaches students with learning disabilities and emotional issues

She added: ‘What’s happened is a total shock.

‘We would never have expected this.’

Reina’s friend, Jason Lee, also 19, said of Harper-Mercer: ‘He was a shaky kind person. He was almost too quiet. ‘We never expected this.’

Another neighbor, Julia Winstead, 55, who is blind, said: ‘His mom started a petition just before they left to get rid of cockroaches in their unit.

‘She said the ‘roaches were really worrying her son.

‘His mom said they were going to move into a motel because of it.

One neighbor remembers when his mom bought him a bicycle as a present

‘I also heard he had a big fall out with the people next door in unit 10 who have since moved out.

‘He was always complaining about the noise from their TV.

‘He was quite a paranoid character. It’s really scary knowing he lived just downstairs.’

Another former neighbor of Harper-Mercer and his mother Laurel told how she used to hear them having furious rows.

The neighbor, who did not want to be named, said: 'He was a quiet boy, he was always alone. But I would often hear him and his mother having really angry rows.

'They would shout at each other for a long time, maybe an hour. I never knew what it was about. Sometimes it was very loud.

'I remember once she bought him a bicycle as a present, too, which he used to keep under the stairs. I got the impression he was lonely.'

A former behavioral aide at Switzer, who did not want her name used, told the Daily Breeze that the majority of the students at the school are from foster, low-income and single-parent homes.

Some of these students were expelled from other schools or had been in trouble with the law. The school is divided among special needs students and those with behavioral problems.

Today security guards at the school were turning our reporters away.

A NURSE, MATURE STUDENT, A QUADRUPLET AND A FORMER DRUG ADDICT WHO HAD MANAGED TO TURN HIS LIFE AROUND: THE OREGON VICTIMS

The tragic victims of Oregon's mass shooting were identified on Friday as relatives, friends and co-workers tried to come to terms with their tragic loss.

19-year-old student Lucero Alcaraz was the first to be identified by relatives. Her older sister, Maria Leticia, posted a heartbreaking tribute on Facebook saying the first-year UCC student had aspired to be a pediatric nurse.

'Lucero, I miss you I wish you were here,' Maria Alcaraz wrote. 'I can't sleep. I never got the chance to tell you how proud of you I was.

'You would have been a great pediatric nurse. I was so proud of you for getting you college completely paid through scholarships and you made it into college honors.

Lucero Alcaraz, left, was one of the first victims to be identified. She was training to become a pediatric nurse. Lucas Eibel, right, was also named among the dead - he is a quadruplet and just 18 years old

'You were going to do great things love. I ache so much right now..I need you..'

'I don't know how I will make it through this ...I don't know if I can ever relieve this pain. Rest in piece sister...I'll see you soon.'

The second victim was identified Friday as Jason Johnson, whose mother spoke proudly of her son's new-found commitment to turning his life around.

Tonja Johnson Engle told NBC News the 33-year-old had struggled with drug addiction but completed a six-month rehabilitation program and enrolled in Umpqua Community College to continue his education.

'He started Monday and he was so proud of what he had accomplished, and rightly so,' Johnson Engel tearfully told the station. 'The other day he looked at me and hugged me and said, 'Mom, how long have you been waiting for one of your kids to go to college?' And I said, 'Oh, about 20 years.'

The heartbroken mother said she last saw her son alive as he was leaving for class Thursday morning.

'Love ya,' Jason told her after giving her a kiss. 'I'll see you this afternoon.'

20-year-old Treven Anspach, pictured left, was named as one of the victims by friends and relatives while Rebecka Carnes, 18, pictured right, was also killed. Her step-father said they were at a loss for words

The deaths of two more UCC students, Lucas Eibel and Rebecka Carnes, both 18 years old, were confirmed by their families.

Carnes' stepfather, Aaron Chandler, told the station KATU: 'We are at a loss for words.'

The New York Times reported the 18-year-old was a star softball player in high school and was studying to become a dental hygienist. Carnes had just began classes at UCC on September 28.

Lucas Eibel, also 18 years of age, was a quadruplet. According to the Roseburg News-Review. Lucas, his two brothers, Mitchell and Cole, and sister Alexis graduated from high school this year.

'We have been trying to figure out how to tell everyone how amazing Lucas was, but that would take 18 years,' his family said in a statement.

'Lucas loved FFA, volunteering at Wildlife Safari and Saving Grace animal shelter. He was an amazing soccer player. He graduated Roseburg High School with high academic marks.'

A friend of 20-year-old Treven Anspach confirmed to People Magazine that he was among the victim's of Thursday shooting rampage.

Jesse Milbrat, also 20, told the publication he and Anspach were former schoolmates and co-workers at Roseburg Forest Products.

Jason Johnson's mother confirmed he was one of the dead. She said the 33-year-old had struggled with drug addiction in the past but was proud to have turned his life around

'He was a hard worker and a damn good basketball player,' the friend said. 'He deserves way better.'

Milbrat last saw Anspach in May before leaving for the Army.

'The last thing he said to me was, 'Good luck and thanks for your service',' he said.

Kim Dietz, 59, was the oldest victim of the tragedy. Divorced with one daughter she was in a lecture when Chris Harper-Mercer burst in.

A friend, Natalie Robbins, 38, said she heard of Mrs Dietz' death from a fellow student immediately after the shootings - news confirmed in a phone call two hours ago from the 72-year-old's former husband.

'Kim and I had a lot in common despite the differences in our ages,' said Mrs Robbins.

'She had come through a nasty divorce and she didn't have much education.

'She would help me with math. She was an open person, a lovely person and I watched her bloom over the two terms we studied together.

'Each term she got more comfortable [with me] and we shared many happy moments and a few tears too.'

Kim Dietz, 72, is the oldest victim identified so far, she was a mature student at the Oregon college

Recent high school graduate Quinn Cooper, 18, was also named as a victim.

His family described him as a 'funny, sweet, compassionate and such a wonderful loving person. He always stood up for people. Quinn and his brother Cody are inseparable.

'I don't know how we are going to move forward with our lives without Quinn. Our lives are shattered beyond repair. No one should ever have to feel the pain we are feeling.'

18-year-old 'funny, sweet and compassionate' Quinn Cooper, left, was killed as was lecturer Larry Levine, right

Teacher Lawrence Levine, 67, was also killed in the shooting. Eyewitness reports suggested it was his class that Chris Harper-Mercer targeted in the massacre.

'He was the sweetest, most gentle, kind, thoughtful and creative person. My heart is broken,' said David Furman, a lifelong friend.

He also enjoyed writing mystery novels according to a former student with whom he had a romantic relationship.