The coverage of category 4 Hurricane Joaquin was pushed aside this afternoon following reports of another shooting on a college campus. Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oreg., is the scene of the mass shooting. Due to the remote location of the college–70 miles south of Eugene and 100 miles north of Medford–the cable news channels are relying on still images and Google maps of the scene of the shooting, which began at 10:38 a.m. PT.
Brooke Baldwin began coverage on CNN around 2:15 p.m. ET, Shepard Smith interrupted The Real Story on Fox News at 2:19 p.m., and Brian Williams, in his week-old role as breaking news anchor on MSNBC, began coverage at 2:30. CBSN, CNBC, FBN, HLN and other networks are also in continuing coverage of the story.
On broadcast, CBS’s Jim Axelrod broke in with a special report at 2:28, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos was on at 2:32, NBC’s Lester Holt was up a minute later, and FNC’s Jenna Lee broke in with a Fox special report at 2:40 p.m. Telemundo and Univision also produced network specials.
The reports of the number killed have varied from 7-10, to 15, back to 10 and, according to NBC’s federal sources, 13. One report put the shooter in custody, others had him dead on the scene.
TVSpy reports on how the rural location of the college delayed fast–and accurate–reporting of the massacre.
More: The first live helicopter images of the scene, from Portland FOX affiliate KPTV, appeared at 3:50 p.m. ET followed a few minutes later by KGW, Portland’s NBC affiliate. Portland is 175 miles north of Roseburg.
Former CNN host Piers Morgan, who has been outspoken about gun violence in America, put it in perspective on twitter:
137 school shootings in America since Sandy Hook. ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN. #oregon
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 1, 2015
And this from former Rep. Gabreille Giffords, the victim of gun violence:
On a plane and learning about the heinous shooting in Oregon. A community’s heart has been tested but will not be broken. #UCCShooting
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) October 1, 2015