Return to Transcripts main page

The Situation Room

Oregon Gunman Was Heavily Armed; Officials: Gunman's Writings Show Anger, Isolation; Obama: Looking for Ways to Enforce Gun Laws; Sheriff Names Victims of Oregon College Shooting; Campus Gunman's Writings Recovered; President Obama Warns Russia Over Syria Strikes. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired October 02, 2015 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN: Happening now, breaking news. President Obama's outrage. Following the Oregon college massacre, the president says he won't hesitate to politicize the issue of gun violence. And he also says he'll keep pushing for more gun laws. Will that stop the killing?

Armed and angry. Thirteen guns are found at the massacre scene and the gunman's home. We're learning from survivors that the gunman singled out Christians. His own writings show he was an angry loner with racial hostility. But what set him off? We're awaiting a news conference from law enforcement on the scene.

Russian aggression. Accused of using airstrikes to prop up the Syrian regime, Russia now says its jets have bombed targets near the self- declared ISIS capital. Will that ease differences with the U.S. and its allies?

And under water. Tens of millions of Americans will feel the impact of Hurricane Joaquin even if the storm never hits the U.S. There are now warnings up the Atlantic coast. And some areas could see what are being described as historic flooding.

I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BLITZER: Let get to the breaking news. Furious over the killing of nine college students and gun violence that he says is happening every day, President Obama says he will step up his efforts for more gun control laws. And he also says gun control advocates must become, quote, "single-issue voters" to make a political impact.

We're getting chilling new details about the massacre at Umpqua Community College where a gunman slaughtered nine people and wounded nine others and died himself in a shootout with police.

Survivors describe the terror as the shot rang out. Some say Christians were being singled out for murder, for execution by the gunman. And officials say the gunman's writing reveal racial hostility and feelings of isolation and anger. Federal officials say the shooter left behind 13 guns. Our correspondents, analysts and guests, they have full coverage of

the day's top stories, including much more of what President Obama just had to say.

Terror and chaos and death, but also courage and heroism. We're learning more about the massacre at Umpqua Community College as survivors tell about the nightmare on their campus.

Our national correspondent, Kyung Lah, is on the scene for us with the very latest -- Kyung.

KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we're hearing these stories about what it was like, what was happening inside these classrooms. And the witnesses paint a disturbing picture of a heavily armed man intent on killing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Active shooter.

LAH (voice-over): Students who escaped describing the horror as the gunman went firing from room to room.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was just rapid fire over and over and over again. It -- you could hear the people -- you could hear them moving and crying.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somebody is outside one of the doors shooting through the door.

LAH: With the sound of gunfire reverberating through campus, frightened students and teachers sought shelter or ran for their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Called their parents or loved ones saying "I love yous." And, you know, we didn't know what was going to happen, if those were our last words or not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exchanging shots with him.

LAH: The chaos ended when the 26-year-old was killed in a shootout with police. Authorities say he had multiple weapons and ammo to spare.

CELINEZ NUNEZ, ATF, SEATTLE DIVISION: So far we've recovered 13 weapons, six were recovered at the school. Seven were recovered at the shooter's residence. We also were able to recover a flank jacket along with five magazines.

LAH: Teenage victim Anastasia Boylan lies in serious condition as doctors addressed the bullet, lodged in her spine. Just shot, she called her brother, who was also on campus.

KORRE BOYLAN, BROTHER OF VICTIM: When I heard my sister's voice, it was the worst cry, I mean, the worst cry you can hear is someone afraid of their life. They think they are going to die and that was my baby sister. The first thing out of her mouth was she choked out I got shot. I asked her what happened, where. She said, "Somewhere in my back. I can't feel my legs."

LAH: Before surgery, Anastasia told her father the shooter singled out students, asking one question.

STACY BOYLAN, FATHER OF VICTIM: "Are you a Christian?" he would ask them. "And if you're a Christian, stand up." And they would stand up. And he said, "Good, because you're a Christian you're going to see God in just about one second." And then he shot and killed them.

LAH: Mr. Boylan has emphasized survival training to his children, and when the yelled at Anastasia to stand up, instead she played dead.

S. BOYLAN: If she would have tried to run, there's no other situation other than what she chose to do that would have saved her life.

If she would have stood up or run, I wouldn't have my daughter.

[17:05:09] You're supposed to be able to go to school and learn. And you're supposed to be able to be 18 and young and not worry about things and enjoy what college offers. And instead she watches people being murdered.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAH: And you can hear the frustration in that father's voice. We are delighted, though, to tell you that she is now out of surgery. The bullet that was lodged in her spine is out. Her family tonight telling us, Wolf, that she does have sensation in her legs. She can feel. And they are hoping that she'll be walking very, very soon.

BLITZER: We, of course, hope so, as well. Kyung, thanks very much.

We're waiting for this news conference to begin. The sheriff on the scene. We'll have live coverage once he goes to the microphones. You're seeing live pictures there on the scene for us.

We're getting also new information on the shooter's background and possible motive. Brian Todd is here in THE SITUATION ROOM. What have you been finding out, Brian?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New details coming into CNN just moments ago. New information tonight, as Wolf mentioned, about a possible motive, possibly other motives for this shooting.

In addition to new information about the gunman's actions as he entered at least one classroom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): He entered the classroom firing, said he'd been waiting to do this for years, then shot a professor point-blank. That's according to what survivor Anastasia Boylan told her father, who says the gunman seemed to want to deliver a message.

S. BOYLAN: My Anna said he gave somebody a box. Gave somebody a box, one of somebody who lived.

K. BOYLAN: I don't know.

S. BOYLAN: And said, "You've got to deliver this."

TODD: It's not clear tonight what was in the box, but law enforcement officials tell CNN the shooter handed his writings to a survivor, writings saying he was frustrated with not having a girlfriend and being a virgin.

According to Boylan, he also singled out Christians during the rampage, but none of that points to a clear motive for why Chris Harper-Mercer gunned down nine people. His father would only say he's devastated.

IAN MERCER, FATHER OF OREGON SHOOTER: Shocked. Shocked is all I can say.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sir, did he ever say...

MERCER: I don't want to answer any questions if you don't mind.

TODD: There are other possible clues. Law enforcement officials tell CNN investigators have recovered writings believed to be from the gunman, which include ramblings about his hostility toward blacks.

GREGG MCCRARY, FORMER FBI PROFILER: These are people who suffer from typically surplus powerlessness, if you feel. They feel powerless. They feel abandoned by society. Rejected. Sometimes referred to as injustice collectors. They collect all the injustices that have occurred in their life, and they don't let go.

TODD: Law enforcement officials say the gunman's family told investigators he suffered from mental-health issues. Former neighbors at his apartment complex in Torrance, California, say he lived with his divorced mother, a woman who hovered, was fiercely protective of her son, even from minor annoyances.

JULIA WINSTEAD, FORMER NEIGHBOR OF GUNMAN: She had a petition with complaints about the complex. And that her son had, like, anxiety issues. And the roaches were working him up. And they were going to have to go stay in a motel.

TODD: Other neighbors describe a young man who kept to himself and wore the same outfit almost every day.

BRYAN CLAY, FORMER NEIGHBOR OF GUNMAN: He wore combat boots. Very distinctly I remember black combat boots and very camo -- military uniform almost.

TODD: The Pentagon says the shooter did serve in the Army, for a month. Then was discharged for failing to meet minimum standards.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Another possible motive for the shootings, notoriety. Investigators say his writings indicated he studied other mass shooters like the gunman in Santa Barbara, California, who killed six people last year.

And blog posts by a user whose e-mail is associated with the gunman expressed sympathy for Vester Flanagan, the man who killed two journalists recently on live television in Virginia. The blog gushed about the infamy Flanagan achieved with those shootings and said, quote, "The more people you kill, the more you're in the limelight." Wolf, that seems to be a motivation.

BLITZER: Yes. That seems to be a growing pattern now among these mass murderers.

TODD: That's right. This killer expresses sympathy and admiration for Vester Flanagan. Vester Flanagan, according to his writings, expressed admiration for Seung-Hui Cho, the Virginia Tech shooter of eight years ago. Cho had himself expressed admiration for the Columbine killers. He called them martyrs. A former FBI profiler we spoke to, Greg McCrary (ph), says these shooters tend to hold up other shooters as anti-heroes, and that may be a pattern here, Wolf.

BLITZER: Very disturbing pattern, indeed. All right, Brian. Thank you very much. Copycat, that's one of the possibilities here.

President Obama, as you probably just saw live here on CNN, has just spoken out passionately once again about the Oregon college massacre and the killings that he says happen every day in this country.

Let's go to our White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski. She's working the story for us -- Michelle.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Wolf. This is the second time in two days we've heard from the president on what he has called the most frustrating issue of his presidency.

Yesterday he was emotional and frustrated. Today, in the face of tough questions, he was more practical. Because remember, we've heard as much about what he cannot do. He said he can't tackle this himself. He's virtually given up on Congress enacting stricter gun regulations. He said that we can't prevent all violence. And when asked is there a way to reach those potential shooters who are angry and disaffected, in a word he said no.

Here is what he says he can do, will do and what needs to change.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The politics has to change. The politics has to change. And the people who are troubled by this have to be as intense and as organized and as adamant about this issue as folks on the other side who are absolutists and think that any gun safety measures are somehow an assault on freedom or communistic or a plot by me to, you know, take over. And stay in power forever or something.

I mean, there are all kinds of crackpot conspiracy theories that float around there. Some of which, by the way, are ratified by elected officials in the other party on occasion.

So main thing I'm going to do, John, is talk about it. And hope that over time I'm changing enough minds, along with other leaders around the country, that we start finally seeing some action. I don't think it's going to happen overnight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSINSKI: He also took on the argument we've been hearing a lot lately, that it's not guns or the presence of guns; it's mental health, and it's really tough to get at those potential shooters. That is a legitimate argument, especially in many of these cases where you see laws would not have affected the outcome likely.

Well, the president said, sure, there are tens of millions, in his words, of angry people out there. Most of them do not become shooters. And the one thing that we can do is make sure that they don't have access to an arsenal of weapons. The question, of course, is how you get at that legislatively and still consider the issues of freedom and privacy, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Michelle, thanks very much.

Let's get some more reaction. Joining us Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon. Representative, thanks very much for joining us.

You remember this task force. You put together a gun safety plan after a high school shooting in Portland, Oregon. You say you want action. But how? The guns used in this attack, and there were plenty of them, apparently were all purchased legally.

REP. EARL BLUMENAUER (D), OREGON: Well, Wolf, I think the president hit the right tone yesterday. I mean, the question is why should America be the only developed country that cannot protect our families?

We see examples in this country where states that have more gun protections have less gun violence.

And you're right. After a shooting at a high school in my district, I sat down and went through what we know, what I've encountered, proposals in Congress, and developed an extensive list of simple common-sense steps we can take.

There is no silver solution, no magic solution that we're going to be able to transform this overnight. But we have taken on other public health challenges, from adults smoking tobacco to unsafe cars on our roads. And by being smart, dealing with engineering, with enforcement, with education, we've been able to make a difference. We need to take the same approach to deal with things that will make our families safe.

BLITZER: But the president tried. He failed. Couldn't even get all the Democrats on board. What makes you think this is going to have any real impact in the year, let's say, he has left? BLUMENAUER: Well, I think part of it, we have -- the president is the

most impassioned and articulate defender of gun safety provisions that we've had in the White House. We've had more than one of these events every day this year.

And I think you are having an opportunity to actually reach a tipping point. I mean, you followed politics for a long time. There was the SGR, the sustainable growth rate, the so-called doc fix that bedeviled Congress for 15 years or more.

And this year John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi came together, we had a solution, something that nobody thought was possible. Well, I think the stakes are higher for this. I think there are more and more people who are concerned. And we're finding the overwhelming majority, even of gun owners, agree with some of these simple common- sense solutions. Universal background checks. Why can't the federal government even collect information about gun safety?

BLITZER: All right.

BLUMENAUER: These are things that are indefensible for those who oppose them. And I think we've got to continue pushing ahead. And I think, ultimately, we can be successful if people who care much about this act with the same passion as people who apologize for gun violence.

[17:15:15] BLITZER: Congressman, I want you to stand by. We're awaiting this news conference there in Roseburg. The sheriff and others are about to update us on new information that's coming in. You see the live picture coming in right there. We'll have that news conference live for our viewers.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Let's go right to Sheriff John Hanlin updating us on the massacre yesterday.

SHERIFF JOHN HANLIN, DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON: ... posted at www dosh -- I'm sorry -- dash flash alert Eugene.net so that you may have the proper spellings and details.

The victims are Lucero Alcaraz of Roseburg, 19 years old; Quinn Glen Cooper of Roseburg, 18 years old; Kim Saltmarsh-Dietz of Roseburg, 59 years old; Lucas Eibel of Roseburg, 18 years old; Jason Dale Johnson of Winston, 33 years old; Lawrence Levine of Glide, 67 years old. Mr. Levine was the teacher.

Sarena Dawn Moore of Myrtle Creek, 44 years old; Treven Taylor Anspach of Southerland, 20 years old; and Rebecka Ann Carnes of Myrtle Creek, 18 years old.

At this time, I'd like to introduce Fire Chief Greg Marlar of Fire District No. 2 who would like to make a few comments regarding two of our victims -- Chief. FIRE CHIEF GREG MARLAR, FIRE DISTRICT 2: Thank you, Sheriff.

It saddens me to announce that two of these victims were actually members of our immediate fire and EMS family. Obviously, we are family, and this hurts. The situation is personal to us, and we share in the pain that this community is feeling right now. But I want to let everyone know our service and our response will not be affected in the light of this tragedy.

We're working actively with law enforcement in their investigation. And then we ask that all questions be forwarded through their public office.

I have some remarks from the family, the Anspach family, for Treven Anspach, would like us to thank everybody for their heartfelt thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Treven was one of the most positive young men, always looking for the best in life. Treven -- Treven was larger than life and brought out the best in those around him. In Justin and Kim's words, Treven was a perfect son. Thank you.

HANLIN: We have a few more family statements that we would like to read. And so I will start with Sergeant Boyd from the Oregon State Police who will read a statement from the Eibel family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This statement is from the Lucas Eibel family: "We have been trying to figure out how to tell everyone how amazing Lucas was, but that would take 18 years. Lucas loved Future Farmers of America, volunteering at Wildlife Safari and Saving Grace Animal Shelter. He was an amazing soccer player. He graduated Roseburg High School with high academic marks. He was a Ford Family Foundation scholarship recipient. He was an Umpqua Community College scholars award recipient. He was studying chemistry. Memorial donations can be made to Roseburg High School FFA and to the injured victims."

HANLIN: I will now read a statement from Jason Johnson's family. The statement reads, "Jason Johnson, age 34, was proud to be a Christian. Jason recently enrolled in school at Umpqua Community College. Jason's mother said that Jason was proud of himself for enrolling in the school. And so was his mother. They felt that Jason had finally found his path. His family says that he will be loved and missed."

And now I will ask Sergeant Boyd again to come up and read a statement from the Cooper family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I will read a portion of the Quinn Cooper family statement: "We are shocked this has happened. Quinn was only 18 years old. He had just graduated from Roseburg High School in June. Yesterday was his fourth day in college.

"Quinn was funny, sweet, compassionate and such a wonderful loving person. He always stood up for people. Quinn and his brother Cody were inseparable. Quinn was going to take his brown belt test on October 10. He loved dancing, voice acting and playing Ingres with Cody.

"I don't know how we're going to move forward with our lives without Quinn. Our lives are shattered beyond repair. We send our condolences to all the families who have been so tragically effected by this deranged gunman. No one should ever feel the pain that we are feeling."

HANLIN: We know that the media are interested in speaking with the families. And we understand that. We are working very closely with them to arrange the release of these statements and photos. If they wish to do interviews, we will arrange those opportunities for them, as well.

[17:25:16] At this time all of the families are asking for privacy. We would ask that you would respect that. We would request that you help them work through these most tragic days ahead. This includes our emergency response families, who themselves have suffered losses.

First responders are not doing interviews, and we ask that you allow them to go about their work.

I do not want to make a clarification regarding the number -- I'm sorry, I do want to make a clarification regarding the number of injured. We have confirmed with the hospitals that there were, indeed, nine victims who were transported and treated. Not seven. So to repeat, we have nine injured, not seven. Nine. And the death toll remains at ten, which includes the shooter.

Again, we are still requesting anyone with information or photos or videos to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Now I would like to introduce Janet Holland, the executive director of the Community Health Alliance to talk to us about the mental health resources that we have available -- Janet.

JANET HOLLAND, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY HEALTH ALLIANCE: Thank you, Sheriff Hanlin. I wanted to let you know that Community Health Alliances staff are committed to helping this community recover from this tragic incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone effected.

CHA's mental healthcare specialists are already on scene at Umpqua Community College, at Mercy Hospital and at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. They are assisting our citizens that are in need.

CHA has a 24-hour hotline to assist anyone in need of help during this tragedy. That number is 800-866-9780. For anyone needing to talk to someone during normal business hours, they're encouraged to call either 541-440-3532, or, during this weekend, we will have drop-in hours at many locations across the community, including the Ford Family Foundation, our offices at Annex B on the Mercy campus.

This is really hard.

In the days and weeks to come, our CHA staff will be working with other health care professionals as well as state and local agencies to assist Douglas County residents recover from this unfortunate incident.

I have been totally amazed by the outpouring of support across the state. We have received offers from the community, from Colorado. And we will be coordinating those resources to make sure that the needs of our residents are taken care of.

We will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 9 until 8, at both our offices at Cirque Parkway (ph), at Annex B, as well as at the Ford Family Foundation.

I want to remind everybody that during this tragedy, there's some things that we can all do. One is follow your normal routine. Do what you do on a regular basis.

Second, take care of yourself. This was an opportunity. My son was at Umpqua Community College and I had him actually lots of hugs last night. That was the most important thing. And let him talk. I let him talk about what his experiences were.

The other thing is talk. Talk to people.

Third, turn off the media and take a break. I think that sometimes we can get inundated by all the media, and it can be overwhelming. I talked to my mother yesterday. And she also said, "I need a break from this." It is important that we all take care of ourselves.

And lastly, we need to help each other. I have been, and I was born and raised in this community. I have witnessed firsthand the resiliency of this community. And I know that together we can get through this. Thank you.

HANLIN: We'll have an opportunity for questions as soon as we get through this, if you could hold onto that, please. Right now I'd like to introduce Vanessa Becker. She's on the chair of board of trustees with the Umpqua Community College -- Vanessa.

VANESSA BECKER, CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Thank you, Sheriff Hanlin.

I'm here today representing Umpqua Community College and also here representing myself as a community member of this incredible community.

I want to express my deep condolences to all of the families that were affected that were listed today, as well

[17:30:01] as those who were injured and all of our first responders and people who've been on the ground since yesterday.

I want to join my colleagues and my community members up here in saying thank you to the local community in their response. Thank you to our statewide community, our national community and international community support. So just want to let you know we're feeling it and we're grateful for that.

I want to also confirm that our focus right now at the college is really to support students and faculty and staff. And that's what our major focus is right now. There were -- in the process of mobilizing buses for students who have questions that need to get up and get their vehicles that are still on campus. There are buses that are happening -- that are being staged right now at the fairgrounds, Douglas County fairgrounds, at 3:00 so I encourage folks that if they have cars that they need to get returned arrive at the fairgrounds at 3:00.

We also, as Janet mentioned, have some additional trauma informed counselors and mental health professionals to help support folks at the fairgrounds as well. So thank you.

SHERIFF JOHN HANLIN, DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON: And now I'd like to invite the Roseburg City manager up, Lance Colley.

LANCE COLLEY, ROSEBURG CITY MANAGER: I said this last night. This is one of the hardest things anyone will ever have to do. Something that we hope would never happen anywhere much less our community.

I want to thank all of the people who showed up last night at the vigil to provide support for the families. I want to thank all of the people, the first responders, law enforcement, mental health, the folks from the college for their response to this tragedy. And I want to say that there really has been an international and national response to this. People have been reaching out to us, people who have had similar tragedies, too many similar tragedies, both international and national.

What we're asking our community to do now is reflect on this, try to support the families. Certainly support the college. Support people that they know who have been affected by this. And help us all move forward. There are a couple of things going on in the community right now that individuals can do to help. There are blood drives. I understand the one today is basically been overwhelmed. But the Red Cross will continue to have blood drives. You can contact them to schedule giving blood or go on to the Red Cross Web site locally to donate.

There has been a few relief funds set up. IMUCC relief funds set up locally at Umpqua Bank and at any Umpqua Bank branch people can walk in or contact them to donate to the IMUCC relief fund. Cascade Community Credit Union locally, the Greater United Way is helping coordinate this. If people want to help, please contact them.

And I particularly want you all to keep the families in your prayers. Please honor their privacy. Please know that we, with their help, with the help of the college will move forward. And please take an opportunity to recognize what a great community this is and what a great response they made. Thank you.

HANLIN: So at this time we'll answer a few questions. And, sir, I know you had one. I'm sorry.

BECKER: I'm sorry, just wanted to mention -- I failed to mention that classes are canceled for next week. We're not allowed to get into buildings quite yet. So we don't have an announcement of when that will be but next week we are not having classes. So I want to make sure folks knew that.

HANLIN: OK. We'll handle a few questions. Sir.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Was the shooter a student at the college? And was he taking that class? And then the second part is, was there any -- did he leave behind any papers, any statements he wanted to make?

[17:35:10] HANLIN: Those questions are all questions that we have intentions of answers as this investigation continues. But at this point we don't have those answers to report. Sir.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Can you clarify what you mean by members of the EMS family? Were they EMS workers?

CHIEF GREG MARLAR, DOUGLAS COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Treven Anspach was the son of one of our firefighters with the fire district. And Rebecca Carnes was a niece of one of our paramedics with the fire district.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One more question.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Sheriff, the person who -- the older person who was killed, the 67-year-old was the instructor. Can you tell us a bit -- is anyone able to give us a bit of background on this person?

HANLIN: I'm sorry, I can't. I don't have any other information other than what I gave you tonight. I'm sure soon there will be something more.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But can you confirm (INAUDIBLE)?

HANLIN: At this point that's all part of the investigation that's ongoing. And that determination hasn't been made. Thank you. That will be the last question.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Sheriff John Hanlin, Douglas County, with a brief news conference, a dramatic moment when he read the names of the nine people who were killed in this massacre yesterday.

President Obama has just ordered all flags been flown at half staff at all government buildings. There you see the flag above the White House here in Washington.

As we take a closer look, let's remind our viewers of these nine victims. The nine who were killed ranging in age from 18, the youngest, to 67 the oldest. Lucero Alcaraz, Quinn Glen Cooper, Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, Lucas Eibel, Jason Dale Johnson, Lawrence Levine, Serena Dawn Moore, Treven Taylor Anspach, and Rebecca Ann Carnes,

Our deepest, deepest condolences to their families and friends.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:41:57] BLITZER: Once again President Obama has ordered flags being flown at half-staff over the White House. You can see live pictures coming in right now to honor the memories of the nine Oregon shooting victims.

Officials have just released the names of all nine victims. Let's talk about what's going on with our law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director. Our law enforcement analyst Art Roderick, former U.S. Marshals assistant director, and Dr. Lisa Van Susteren, a forensic psychiatrist.

Lisa, investigators say they have -- they found some writings for this individual, this killer. They include they say ramblings about hatred towards blacks, being unable to make relationships that he sought, apparently his family sought treatment for some mental problems that he had, apparently wasn't getting much treatment if any treatment. But that doesn't necessarily make someone a killer.

DR. LISA VAN SUSTEREN, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST: Well, no, absolutely not. And I mean this is the same profile we hear every single time. A loner, doesn't get along with people, doesn't have a girlfriend. All of this is what we hear over and over again. The main issue here is not to think of it so much as mental illness because we know what that is. That's bipolar, schizophrenia, major depression, that sometimes have a little bit of violence thrown in.

What we have here is an entity all of its own. This is violence. This is a category of its own. And then there may be a little depression and anxiety thrown in. We need to look at these people as fundamentally different.

BLITZER: A lot of people have suggested to me, Lisa, this individual, 27 years old, wanted to commit suicide but wanted to do it with notoriety, with a lot of publicity.

VAN SUSTEREN: With spectacular, it's going out in a blaze of glory. People like this who feel like they're not powerful, they're not important, they want to do something in addition to avenging the humiliation. They also want to feel this at this moment they'll go out in a blaze of glory. So they do something like this rather than quietly shooting themselves.

BLITZER: The Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms official who was at the briefing earlier today, Art, said 13 guns were in his possession. Six at the scene at the college. Seven in his apartment. There was another one that he had that he apparently exchanged, 14 guns in all. And what's shocking to a lot of people he got all of these weapons legally.

ARTHUR RODERICK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: And to include a flak vest with a metal plate in the chest, which means --

BLITZER: And armored. Yes.

RODERICK: He was ready for a shootout. It just seems to me when you look at the last half dozen or so of these shootings that each one tries to up the previous shooting. And more guns, more weapons, more victims, more ammunition and more horrific each time we come across one of these.

BLITZER: So if he had these guns for three years, I assume, Tom, a lot of planning went into what he did yesterday.

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, we don't know, Wolf, when exactly he thought he would carry it out. But certainly preparation being increasingly aggravated with the world and feeling like a loser. And then each gun that he acquires makes him feel yet bigger and stronger in his inferior world. And at one point it's just, you know, one brick in the wall too many and it goes ahead and does the attack. After preparing to do it, after having grievances pile up for years, then enough's enough.

[17:45:03] BLITZER: He had all these weapons, lots of ammunition, a flak jacket if you will, he dressed in military outfit some of his neighbors said all of the time. A father of one of the wounded, Lisa, one of the wounded students, said they heard the shooter say just before he started shooting, I've been waiting to do this for years.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, not surprising. Again, these are people who for a long time have burned slowly inside. Not seeing their moment. And then finally there are probably a convergence of forces including a lot of the copycat incidents because once you see somebody else doing something, you get much braver about doing it yourself.

BLITZER: Because they want that kind of notoriety, the kind of publicity.

VAN SUSTEREN: Certainly.

BLITZER: Stand by, we have more to discuss. We're getting more information on what's going on in Oregon right now. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:50:23] BLITZER: Accused of ignoring ISIS and targeting enemies of Syria's president, Russia today said it had struck ISIS targets near the terror group's self--declared capital of Syria. But President Obama says Russia is simply propping up the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad and while critics charged Russia has outmaneuvered the United States and Syria, President Obama says his Russian counterpart is acting out of desperation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. Putin had to go into Syria not out of strength but out of weakness because his client, Mr. Assad, was crumbling and it was insufficient for him simply to send them arms and money, now he's got to put in his own planes and his own pilots. And the notion that he put forward a plan and that somehow the international community sees that as viable because there is vacuum there, I didn't see after he made that speech in the United Nations suddenly the 60-nation coalition that we have start lining up behind him.

Iran and Assad make up Mr. Putin's coalition at the moment. The rest of the world makes up ours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Let's go to our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

Barbara, you listened carefully to what the president said, and I'm sure military personnel where you were at the Pentagon listened carefully. What's the latest you're hearing?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, eyeballs at the Pentagon were clearly peeled on that press conference, watching very carefully as President Obama delivered a message of warning to Putin that the United States will not be operating on Russia's agenda in Syria, that there will not be a proxy war between Washington and Moscow.

I want you to listen to a little bit more of what the president had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: An attempt by Russia and Iran to prop up Assad and try to pacify the population is just going to get them stuck in a quagmire and it won't work and they will be there for awhile. If they don't take a different course. But he doesn't distinguish between ISIL and a moderate Sunni opposition that wants to see Mr. Assad go. From their perspective, they are all terrorists and that's a recipe for disaster and it's one that I reject.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now what the Pentagon officials are watching for are decisions from the White House, decisions from the president about what comes next in Syria. There were some hints today but no announcements. Two critical things officials are looking for. A change in the U.S. program to train and equip Syrian rebels. The president saying flat out it is not working, though, the Pentagon has some proposals at the White House we're told to change it. No decisions yet about what to do.

The second hint, the president talked very interestingly about trying to find a way to protect Syrians on that border, the inside Syria, people under attack. He said a way to protect Syrian people. That seems to be code word for a no-fly zone but that in fact is something that the administration has been rejecting even though a lot of their opponents are calling for it. If you establish a no-fly zone military officials say you have to be willing to enforce it that could put the U.S. in a position of having U.S. pilots have to shoot down a Russian or Syrian aircraft, not likely that the Pentagon wants to be in that position.

So still a lot of rhetoric from the White House today but here at the Pentagon, what they are looking for is solid decisions on a way ahead. That did not come today -- Wolf.

BLITZER: They've got to make sure that with Russian warplanes launching strikes in Syria, with U.S. warplanes launching strikes in Syria, they don't inadvertently go after each other. The president even expressed concern about that. What are they doing to make sure that doesn't happen?

STARR: Well, the U.S. military has put some proposals on the table to Moscow in that first teleconference call they had earlier this week with the Russians. They want them to use internationally accepted frequencies, standard safe airmanship procedures. They want everybody to agree if they do see each other up there in the skies over Syria, no sudden moves, no aggressive moves.

Wolf, that's what we're looking for.

BLITZER: All right. Barbara, thanks very much. We'll have more on this story coming up in the next hour.

Also much more on the massacre in Oregon. There's new information coming in. We'll be right back.

[17:55:04]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Happening now, breaking news. Obama's angry warning. He just sent Russia's Vladimir Putin's a stern message the launching airstrikes according to President Obama is a recipe for disaster. He's also doubling down on his promise to keep fighting for gun control here in the United States until his last days in office.

Armed for massacre. Authorities revealed they found a huge arsenal at the scene of a mass shooting in Oregon and the gunman's home as we learned more about the campus killer.