Suspected gunman identified by police. He was a former nursing student
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
OAKLAND, CA (ANS) -- A gunman who today (Monday, April 2, 2012), allegedly opened fire at a Christian university in Oakland, California, killing at least seven people and wounding as many as three more, has been arrested.
Shocking scene at the Christian University
(Photo: BBC website)
Police have named him as 43-year-old One L. Goh, a former nursing student at the Oikos University, which caters to the Korean-American Christian community.
Oakland police Chief Howard Jordan said that the shooter had opened fire in a classroom at Oikos University and the former student later surrendered at a supermarket in nearby Alameda city.
Jordan said police recovered the weapon they believe he used during the rampage.
"It's going to take us a few days to put the pieces together," Jordan said. "We do not have a motive."
Police first received a 911 call at 10:33 a.m. reporting a woman on the ground bleeding. As more calls came in from the school, the first arriving officer found a victim suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound, he said.
Mr. Goh is believed to be an Oakland resident, Mr. Jordan said during Monday evening's press conference.
He estimated it would take a few days "to put the pieces together," adding: "We do not have a motive."
The gunman had opened fire throughout the building, leaving a "very bloody scene," he told reporters.
"Officers found several victims throughout the classroom, throughout the building," he said.
Scene shortly after the shooting rampage
"There were several people hiding in locked buildings, locked doors behind desks, as you can imagine, very frightened, very scared. Some of them were injured so we had to rescue them out. We had to force our way into a number of rooms."
More officers arrived and formed a boundary around the school on the belief that the suspect was still inside, he said.
"This unprecedented tragedy was shocking and senseless," Jordan said.
Pastor Jong Kim, who founded the Christian university about 10 years ago, told the Oakland Tribune that the shooter was a former nursing student at the college.
He said he had heard about 30 gunshots in the building, adding: "I stayed in my office."
A witness, Brian Snow, told local news station KGO-TV: "One of the people who was inside the building, was saying there is a crazy guy inside.
"She did say someone got shot in the chest right next to her before she got taken off in an ambulance."
A woman who was doing errands nearby, Angie Johnson, told the San Francisco Chronicle she helped a woman with a gunshot wound in her arm.
Mayor of Oakland Jean Quan speaking
The Mayor of Oakland Jean Quan said: "This is the kind of incident that hurts a whole community."
Mayor Quan stated that most of the victims appeared to be from the city's Korean-American community, and the city was working to find multilingual counselors to help survivors.
"No American mayor wants to have this situation," she said. "It seems over the last decade, we've gotten used to seeing senseless mass killings like this, and we'll have to question the availability of guns and the need for other services in our community."
The college, which caters to the Korean-American Christian community, offers degrees in theology, music, nursing and Asian medicine, according to its website (www.oikosuniversity.org).
Logo of the University
Youngkyo Choi, Chairman, Board of Directors of Oikos University said on the website, "We are an independent institution that was established specifically to serve the community of Northern California in general and San Francisco and Oakland areas in particular. Oikos University was launched to provide highest standard education with Christian value and inspiration.
"Oikos University has a very specific goal and mission to offer education programs in the area of religious studies, music, and vocational nursing in that we motivate, educate and equip students in such a way that they will be able to live enriched life by fulfilling their goals in life and serve the community with their learned professions and skills."
The website also says, "The mission of Oikos University is to educate men and women to be the leaders to serve the church, local communities, and the world by using their learned skills and professions in the areas of biblical studies, music performance, Asian medicine and practical vocational nursing."
It adds that its vision is, "to educate emerging Christian leaders to transform and bless the world at every level - from the church and local community levels to the realm of world entire. The fulfillment of this vision inspires, motivates, drives and defines the work of Oikos University."
The school is affiliated with Praise God Korean Church in Oakland and Shepherd University of San Francisco.
Now comes the long path back for those at this university who have suffered such a terrible event on their campus.
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