10 things you need to know today: October 2, 2015

Gunman kills nine at Oregon college, Hurricane Joaquin batters the Bahamas, and more

Mourners gather for a vigil.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

1. School shooter kills nine in Oregon

A gunman opened fire in a writing class at Umpqua Community College in southern Oregon on Thursday, killing at least nine people. The alleged shooter, identified as Chris Harper Mercer, 26, died in an exchange of gunfire with police, although it was not immediately clear whether an officer shot him or he killed himself. A frustrated President Obama issued a statement saying it was time for Congress to strengthen gun laws. "This is a political choice that we make to allow this to happen every few months in America," he said.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.