US university gunman shot his victims in ‘executions’

The gunman who killed seven people at a California religious university lined up his victims and shot them one by one, Oakland police chief said.

“This was a calculated, cold-blooded execution in the classroom,” CNN quoted police chief Howard Jordan as saying.

Jordan said the shooter, allegedly an ethnic Korean identified as One Goh, 43, was believed to have walked into the building housing the college, took a receptionist hostage and then went looking for a particular female administrator.

When he realised the administrator was not in the building, he shot the secretary and then lined students up against a wall and shot them one by one, Jordan said. “I’m going to kill you all,” the gunman allegedly told the students.

After the shooting, the gunman left the classroom, reloaded his automatic weapon and then fired into several classrooms before leaving the building and driving off in a victim’s car.

“This happened within minutes,” Jordan said. “We don’t think the victims had any opportunity to resist, any opportunity to surrender.”

Goh went on the killing spree allegedly after being teased over his poor English skills.

Jordan said the victims were six women and a man ranging in age from 21 to 40, and were from Nigeria, Nepal and Korea. All were students at the Christian school, Oikos University.

“We’ve learned this was a very chaotic, calculated and determined gentleman that came there with the specific intent to kill people,” Jordan said.

He said the gunman surrendered to police after driving to neighbouring Alameda, California, where he called his parents.

The wounded victims were in stable condition, and at least one person had been released from the hospital.

Tashi Wangchuk, whose wife attended the school and witnessed the shooting, said he was told by police that the gunman first shot a woman at the front desk, then continued shooting randomly in classrooms.

The private education establishment serves the Korean community with courses from theology to Asian medicine.

Pastor Jong Kim, who founded the school about 10 years ago, said he heard about 30 rapid-fire gunshots in the building and stayed in his office.