A New Zealander has been caught up in a shooting at an Oregon community college that has left as many as 13 people killed and another 20 wounded.
Jaylen Gerrand Photo: Supplied
The coach of the Supercity Rangers originally said that basketball player Jaylen Gerrand, 20, was wounded in the shooting, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that he was not hurt.
Early reports say that he was next to someone who had been shot in the head and was very shaken but not physically hurt.
Mr Gerrand was studying at the college on a basketball scholarship, which he said was "his dream."
"It's my dream to go to an American university to play basketball.
"I want to study accounting and this has been a dream since I was eight years old."
Believed to be in his early 20s, the gunman was "neutralised" after the shooting broke out about 10:30 local time (06:30 NZT).
Oregon State Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum told NBC News that at least 20 people have been wounded.
The local fire department said there were multiple casualties and advised people to stay away from the area.
Audio from police radio channels suggests that authorities were exchanging shots with the gunman in a classroom in the college's Snyder Hall building.
An officer can be heard saying the suspect was down and that there were "multiple gunshot wounds" and calling for multiple ambulances to the scene.
The suspect supposedly used a "long gun".
A source told CNN that social media postings made by the man were being investigated; he appears to have had a conversation with others online about his intentions the night before.
An Oregon Community College employee said, "College students came in running...We went into lockdown."
A Douglas County official said intial reports indicated at least 13 people were dead after the shooting.
Gun rights supporters say having armed civilians on university campuses could deter school shootings Photo: AFP
Authorities were first called to the scene about 10.30am local time.
The Portland Oregonian newspaper said agents from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were en route to Roseburg, a community of about 20,000 people.
A White House official said President Barack Obama was briefed on the situation and will continues to receive updates.
Speaking on CNN, Douglas County Fire Marshall Ray Shoufler said there were "multiple patients in multiple classrooms" and that 11 people had been transported to a local hospital, two of whom died at the hospital.
Mr Shoufler said "multiple" people are deceased but did not have a specific number.
'OUR TOWN SHOULDN'T BE REMEMBERED LIKE THIS'
Marilyn Kittelman, the mother of a student at the college, told CNN her son said he heard no sound from the "30 some shots", suggesting a suppressor may have been used on the gun, despite there not being an official count of those shot yet.
Sgt Aaron Dunbar of the Roseburg Police Department told CNN the "entire college went into lockdown very quickly."
Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg wrote on Twitter that it received nine patients from the college and three more are en route.
Peace Health Oregon said on Twitter it expects to receive three victims from the shooting.
Students are being bussed off campus to local fairgrounds, a local reporter told Fox News.
Agents from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are on their way to Roseburg.
Staff members, students and their families posted tweets about the experience.
THERE IS AN ACTIVE SHOOTER AT UCC RIGHT NOW, if you're on campus please be careful. Prayers going out. On the bright side, class is canceled
— Walker (@AwkwardWalkward) October 1, 2015
I just saw the UCC news as I am walking onto my school's campus and I'm honestly terrified to go to class right now.
— Alexandria Taylor (@twentythreeofme) October 1, 2015
"We're all hiding in a room. We haven't heard anything from anybody on the outside" --Umpqua student McCrae Kittelman on phone w/ Shep Smith
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 1, 2015
—RNZ/BBC/Reuters
