Victims in Oregon college shooting ranged in age from 18 to 67
Families of the 9 people who were fatally shot share memories of loved ones
Quinn Glen Cooper loved to dance and could always be found tagging alongside his brother, Cody.
Lucas Eibel captured attention on the soccer field and graduated with honours.
Both were 18. They were the two youngest of the nine people shot dead at a community college in rural Oregon Thursday.
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Another nine people were wounded when a gunman stormed into a classroom in Umpqua Community College. Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer, who has been identified as the killer, later died in a shootout with police.
Those who were killed ranged in age from 18 to 67, according to information released Friday.
Quinn Cooper, had just begun his fourth day at the college in Roseburg, Ore., his family wrote in a statement given to police. The teen graduated from high school in June.
"Quinn was funny, sweet, compassionate and such a wonderful loving person," his family wrote. "Quinn was going to take his brown belt test on Oct. 10. He loved dancing, voice acting and playing [the online game] Ingress with Cody, my oldest son.
"I don't know how we are going to move forward with our lives."
Honour roll student
Lucas Eibel made the honour roll in high school and had begun studying chemistry at college.
"We have been trying to figure out how to tell everyone how amazing Lucas was, but that would take 18 years," his parents wrote.
They tried to sum up his love for animals in a few words, writing about the time he spent volunteering at a wildlife safari and a shelter. Their son was fleet-footed in soccer.
The other victims were identified as:
- Lucero Alcaraz, 19
- Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59
- Jason Dale Johnson, 34
- Sarena Dawn Moore, 44
- Treven Taylor Anspach, 20
- Rebecka Ann Carnes, 18
The class teacher, Lawrence Levine, 67, also died in the shooting.
Of the injured, several suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including Chris Mintz, a man who's being given credit for trying to stop Harper-Mercer.
The army veteran recognized the sound of gunfire Thursday, his aunt Wanda Mintz told The Associated Press, and asked his classmates to remain calm as the shooter moved across the hallway.
Mintz tried to block the gunman from entering the classroom, but was shot three times, his aunt said.
After he fell, Wanda Mintz said her nephew told the suspect: "It's my son's birthday today. Don't do this." The gunman then shot Mintz at least twice more and went into the classroom, where he kept firing.
Wanda Mintz said her nephew tried to crawl away, but could not move because of his wounds. He underwent seven hours of surgery and was recuperating Friday at a hospital in Roseburg. He is expected to survive.
A cousin who spoke with Mintz on Thursday night said he "wishes he could have saved more people."
With files from the Associated Press