Umpqua Community College Shooting: Survivors Share Chilling Account From Inside Classroom

Umpqua Community College shooting survivors are now sharing chilling details about what happened when a crazed gunman shattered their quiet rural campus last Thursday, killing nine and injuring several others.

On October 1, at 10 a.m., English professor Lawrence Levine was teaching his introductory composition class, when the gunman entered the classroom, shot Levine, and killed nine other students. The rampage took 10 minutes and added Umpqua Community College to a list no school wants to belong to.

As the days have gone by, and the once-peaceful community gets ready to say goodbye to the nine victims, survivors of the Umpqua Community College attack are sharing chilling accounts of what took place inside the classroom. One such story comes from 18-year-old aspiring surgeon, Lacey Scroggins, who, through her father, told of what happened when the shooter walked in the classroom with an arsenal of five handguns, a semi-automatic rifle, five magazines of ammunition, and a flak jacket, according to Statesman Journal.

The Umpqua Community College shooting survivor was attending Levine’s lecture on her fourth day of classes, and after the gunman shot her professor and several of her classmates, she laid on the ground among the dead and those gravely injured and played dead. She also prayed, thinking her time had come.

Scroggins told her dad she could hear one of those who was shot gurgling and was underneath Oregon shooting victim, 20-year-old Treven Anspach, who was bleeding profusely, staining her clothes, and she tried not to move, hoping her life would be spared. She believes Anspach saved her from being shot, as the gunman walked by looking for other classmates.

According to Randy Scroggins, the Umpqua Community College student’s dad, her daughter told him the gunman specifically targeted Christians as he called out his victims methodically. Some of the other students have disputed the shooter was going after those who identified themselves as Christians.

“She hears the shooter in front say, ‘You, in that orange shirt, stand up! What religion are you? Are you a Christian? He says ‘Yes.’ She hears another pop, and she hears a thud as he drops to the ground.”

Another victim of the Umpqua Community College shooting, Rand McGowan, who was shot in the hand, told his mother the shooter wasn’t targeting Christians purposely.

“It was more so saying, ‘You’re going to be meeting your maker,’ ” student Stephanie Salas said.

Scroggins also said the gunman made another of the Umpqua Community College shooting victims beg for her life and she did, but he killed her anyway. While Scroggins didn’t see the shooter kill her professor, first year student 18-year-old Anastasia Boylan, did, and told her family the shooter shot Levine point-blank-range.

“She was crying and saying, ‘Grandma, he killed my teacher! He killed my teacher! I saw it!’ ” Janet Willis said of what her granddaughter told her.

After being shot, Boylan fell to the ground — with a gunshot wound to the spine — and was in excruciating pain when the gunman asked her to stand up. She also played dead as she lay next to another Umpqua Community College victim. Boylan also said the shooter was targeting Christians.

“Hey blonde girl,” the gunman said, according to her grandmother. “Get up! I want to talk to you!”

According to Bonnie Schaan, the mother of 16-year-old Cheyeanne Fitzgerald, who was seriously injured and had a kidney removed, the gunman called out on a “lucky one” who he demanded come to a corner of the classroom. The Umpqua Community College shooter ordered the student to deliver a manifesto to police. No details about the document have been released by authorities.

Even though many of the Umpqua Community College shooting victims said it felt like a long time passed until police arrived, it was only six minutes for authorities to respond. A shootout with the gunman ensued, and witnesses said he had one last statement to make, “You got me. I’ve had enough. I quit,” Randy Scroggins said, after which he shot himself, the coroner report indicated.

[Photo by Scott Olson / Getty Images]