Oregon College Shooting: Chris Harper-Mercer shot himself as officers arrived, police say

Officials said six of the weapons were found at the scene of the shooting

A troubled young man killed nine people with a $700 rifle (Reuters)

A portrait has emerged of the suspect in the Oregon community college shooting as a troubled young man who suffered from mental health problems and who was obsessed with the IRA, Nazism and who was opposed to organised religion.

Officials revealed that Chris Harper Mercer was equipped with six weapons, including pistols, a rifle, body armour and five additional magazines of ammunition, when he stormed into Umpqua Community College on Thursday morning. A further seven weapons were recovered at his home

As questions were asked about how long the 26-year-old had been planning his attack, officials said he was heavily equipped when he entered the college, where he was eventually shot dead by police after killing nine people.

Chris Harper-Mercer in a MySpace photograph linked to his name (Chris Harper-Mercer/MySpace)

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives provided the details of the weapons he was allegedly carrying on Thursday night in an incident report obtained by the Associated Press.

The guns included a 9mm Glock pistol and .40-calibre Smith & Wesson, both traced to the suspect. He also had a .40-calibre Taurus pistol traced to someone in Portland and a .556-calibre Del-Ton. The Del-Ton, a semi-automatic rifle can be bought for as little as $700.

CNN reported that the Army had said Mr Mercer served briefly before being discharged. There were no further details about his service.

The shooter left behind a “multi-page, hated-filled” statement in the classroom, according to NBC.

The 556-caliber Del-Ton can be bought for as little as $700

After storming into a classroom, the suspect shot a professor and then ordered cowering students to stand up and state their religion before he shot them one by one, according to survivors' accounts.

Mr Harper-Mercer, 26, who lived with his mother in nearby Winchester, about 170 miles south of Portland. Reports said his mother had said that as a child he had suffered from mental health problems.

In a blog post linked to Mr Harper-Mercer, he said he relished the headlines garnered by Vester Flanagan, who was largely unknown before he shot dead two TV journalists during a live broadcast in Virginia in August and then killed himself.

“Seems the more people you kill, the more you’re in the limelight,” the post read.