# "Oregon gunman singled out Christians during rampage" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299 "2015-10-02T20:32:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/21 "2015-10-03T15:24:40Z")
As an atheist I am shocked and repulsed to hear this. As a person with a mental health problem I can tell you, there is no excuse, ever, for killing other people in this manner. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/22 "2015-10-03T16:00:09Z")
The professor he killed was named Levine. I suppose he _could_ have been Christian, but that sure sounds Jewish to me. This latest murderer was allegedly a white supremacist despite being multiracial himself; he was also a self-described “spiritual” young man with a growing gun armory who was booted out of the military for being unfit. He wrote somewhat longingly about how famous the Columbine and Sandy Hook shooters became, their names on everyone’s lips almost instantly. Without getting too technical, the guy was off his rocker. If this unhappy, unstable young man wanted notoriety before he died, using references to religion during the killings–particularly specifying Christians–was certainly the way to do it. But it seems he was after people in his own writing class than anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/23 "2015-10-03T17:09:35Z")
The Times confirmed that if a person admitted to being Christian, he shot them in the head; otherwise in the leg. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/24 "2015-10-03T17:18:16Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > The Times confirmed that if a person admitted to being Christian, he shot them in the head; otherwise in the leg. wow, absolutely chilling. Knowing stuff like that is why I don’t even like reading/hearing about topics like this. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/25 "2015-10-03T18:26:58Z")
I don’t know about this small town in Oregon, but I have heard that the Pacific Northwest in general is the least religious region of the country, so religious Christians may well be a small minority there. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/26 "2015-10-04T19:23:32Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > You can’t trust those New Age people: they’ll slaughter people _en masse_ without a qualm with nothing but ice in their eyes. _ahem_ [Peoples Temple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoples_Temple) [Heaven’s Gate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven's_Gate_%28religious_group%29) [The Manson Family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Manson) Just because you’re a hippie, it doesn’t mean that you’re not human. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/27 "2015-10-04T19:30:24Z")
I keep hearing the shooter was both a white supremacists\* and that he self-described as “mixed race”. What races is he mixed from? I’ve seen his father, and he’s a pretty typical white-guy Brit. Is his mother Asian or part Asian? Part black? I know it’s possible to be part black and lean towards white supremacists ideas, but I suspect it’s pretty rare. Unusual, but not unheard of. \*or had “leanings” in that direction ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/28 "2015-10-04T22:41:43Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I keep hearing the shooter was both a white supremacists\* and that he self-described as “mixed race”. What races is he mixed from? > > I’ve seen his father, and he’s a pretty typical white-guy Brit. Is his mother Asian or part Asian? Part black? I know it’s possible to be part black and lean towards white supremacists ideas, but I suspect it’s pretty rare. Unusual, but not unheard of. > > \*or had “leanings” in that direction His mother is black, but of course the MSM has not been mentioning this fact. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/29 "2015-10-04T23:12:42Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > His mother is black, but of course the MSM has not been mentioning this fact. Nor are they showing her photo. Only photos and interviews with his white father. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/30 "2015-10-04T23:23:07Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Ah, resentment of christians for claiming victimhood even when they _are_ victims… > Only here. Well, as I mentioned in the OP, this particular claim was also made about Columbine and it turned out not to be true. It’s still unclear whether it’s completely true in this case. In any event, I asked in good faith for the facts. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/31 "2015-10-05T05:33:44Z")
He was also a black white supremacist like that guy from Chappelle’s Show. I found it very odd to read a lot of comments from people when his (obviously bi-racial looking) picture was released who said things like “look another white skinhead, right-wing gun nut.” Undoubtedly (not) the same group of people who accused that bi-racial BLM activist of faking his blackness. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/32 "2015-10-05T06:57:25Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Ah, resentment of christians for claiming victimhood even when they _are_ victims… > Only here. Was the killer a high ranking member of the Obama administration? How many Christians were victimized? All of them? What should we do about guns if people with guns are victimizing Christians? Oh I see. The people on the SDMB are the ones victimizing Christians, so they’re the bad guys. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/33 "2015-10-05T08:52:27Z")
Dunno, I am not a christian. But it’s perverse to claim christians were not being persecuted in an incident where they were singled out for being shot. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/34 "2015-10-05T10:39:08Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > Oh I see. The people on the SDMB are the ones victimizing Christians, s_o they’re the bad guys_. Unbelievable; being victimized for victimizing. Unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/35 "2015-10-05T13:33:56Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > He was also a black white supremacist like that guy from Chappelle’s Show. I found it very odd to read a lot of comments from people when his (obviously bi-racial looking) picture was released who said things like “look another white skinhead, right-wing gun nut.” Undoubtedly (not) the same group of people who accused that bi-racial BLM activist of faking his blackness. Is there any evidence he ever claimed to be a white supremecist (blog postings or pictures or anything?) I’m wondering if some numbskull journalist heard of the shooting and made some sort of mental leap to white supremacy, or just posted unfounded rumors he heard without doing even the most basic fact-checking. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/36 "2015-10-05T14:33:40Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Ah, resentment of christians for claiming victimhood even when they _are_ victims… > Only here. **Moderator Warning** **Claverhouse** , you’ve been warned a number of times for political jabs in GQ. This is an official warning for a religious jab. You’ve had enough warnings at this point that the next one will probably bring your posting privileges under discussion. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/37 "2015-10-05T14:38:40Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > It’s funny how “problems with organized religion” nearly always means anti-Christian. I can’t say that I’ve ever heard this phrase used to describe someone who displays a hatred of Jews or Muslims or anything else. But when someone is anti-Christian, it becomes a problem with religion in general :dubious: > [@Squink](#): > > Killers go after Blacks and Jews, Muslims and Latinos, why not Christians too? > For it to be otherwise would unfairly discriminate against non-Christians. > [@sqweels](#): > > Was the killer a high ranking member of the Obama administration? > > How many Christians were victimized? All of them? > > What should we do about guns if people with guns are victimizing Christians? > > Oh I see. The people on the SDMB are the ones victimizing Christians, so they’re the bad guys. > [@Claverhouse](#): > > Dunno, I am not a christian. But it’s perverse to claim christians were not being persecuted in an incident where they were singled out for being shot. > [@handsomeharry](#): > > Unbelievable; being victimized for victimizing. Unbelievable. **Moderating** This being GQ, let’s stick to the factual aspects of this question. If you want to discuss general claims of victimization of Christians, open a thread in Great Debates. Let’s confine this one to the specifics of this particular case. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/38 "2015-10-05T14:51:41Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > The [Beeb](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34424713) reports it on the basis of survivors accounts, one recalled by the father of one of the survivors and one directly; > \*Earlier, Stacy Boylan, whose daughter survived the shooting, told US television network CNN that his daughter described to him how the gunman asked his victims to state their religion before shooting them. As far as I can tell, there are no primary sources for the claim; Boylan’s and a male named J.J. Vicari’s families have been the ones saying it. That doesn’t make it untrue, of course, though as the OP notes [similar claims](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/10/02/school-shooters-targeting-christians-is-not-a-new-claim/) were made in the wake of the Columbine shootings and later debunked. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/39 "2015-10-05T15:57:06Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > I don’t know about this small town in Oregon, but I have heard that the Pacific Northwest in general is the least religious region of the country, so religious Christians may well be a small minority there. Roseburg has been described as “a red dot in a sea of blue”. Outside of the larger cities west of the Cascade Range (Portland, Salem), a large part of Oregon is red, with the traditional values that that implies. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299/40 "2015-10-06T19:31:37Z")
At least one second-hand eyewitness to the shootings doesn’t interpret the shooter as targeting Christians: > [@The Oregonian](#): > > Rand McGowan stayed still amid the gunfire. > > The 18-year-old was in the writing class where a killer opened fire Thursday, killing nine at Umpqua Community College in Oregon’s deadliest mass shooting. > > McGowan told family members that the gunman didn’t specifically target Christians but asked them about faith. The shooter, apparently planning to die during the massacre, told students: “I’ll see you soon” or “I’ll meet you soon.” > > McGowan’s mother, Stephanie Salas, shared her son’s account Friday. > > [snip…] > > “The shooter would call a person: ‘You, stand up,’” Salas said, recalling what her son told her. “And then he would ask them if they were a Christian, knew God, or had religion. And it wasn’t like it was stated on TV. It wasn’t about that he was just trying to pinpoint Christians, no.” > > The shooter would tell them it wouldn’t hurt. > > “And then he would shoot them,” she said. > **[Gunman in Oregon college shooting executed classmates, saying 'I'll see you...](https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2015/10/gunman_in_oregon_college_shoot.html)** > > "The shooter would call a person: 'You, stand up,'" Stephanie Salas said, recalling what her son told her. "And then he would ask them if they were a Christian, knew God, or had religion. And it wasn't like it was stated on TV. It wasn't about that... Another second-hand eyewitness says Christians were targeted: > [@KTLA](#): > > Stacy Boylan, the father of shooting victim Anastasia Boylan, said she told him the gunman singled out Christians. > > She said the gunman entered her classroom firing, told the professor teaching the class, “I’ve been waiting to do this for years,” and shot him point blank, Stacy Boylan said. > > While reloading his handgun, the man ordered the students to stand up and asked whether they were Christians, Boylan told her family. > > "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,’ " Stacy Boylan, told CNN, relaying his daughter’s account. “And then he shot and killed them.” [http://ktla.com/2015/10/01/umpqua-community-college-shooter-targeted-christians-father-of-oregon-shooting-victim-says/](http://ktla.com/2015/10/01/umpqua-community-college-shooter-targeted-christians-father-of-oregon-shooting-victim-says/) It seems it may be too soon to actually answer this question - the accounts we have even now, several days afterwards, are still relayed to the reporters through another person, and it’s not clear the contradiction will be resolved even when reporters speak directly to the survivors. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/733299.md?page=3)