On October 1, 2015, a day that began like any other at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, ended in tragedy for 20-year-old Treven Taylor Trev Anspach. A White male, Anspach was a student at the college, where he was known for his positive outlook and as a talented basketball player for the Umpqua Riverhawks. He was in his English class when a fellow student, 26-year-old Chris Harper-Mercer, entered the classroom and opened fire.
Anspach, the son of a Roseburg firefighter, was
remembered by his family as someone who was "larger than life and brought out the best in those around him." Friends and coaches described him as a hard worker and a quiet leader. He had graduated from Sutherlin High School in 2014 and was also working at Roseburg Forest Products while attending college. His aspirations were to marry his high school sweetheart and follow in his father's footsteps to become a firefighter.
In the midst of the chaos and violence that day, Anspach's final moments were marked by an act of selflessness. As the gunman began his attack, Anspach shielded another student with his own body. That student later credited Anspach with saving her life. He was one of nine victims killed in the mass shooting.
The shooter, Chris Harper-Mercer, engaged in a brief shootout with Roseburg police detectives who responded to the scene. After being wounded, Harper-Mercer took his own life. The attack was the deadliest school shooting in Oregon's history. There were no other suspects, and no arrests were made as the sole perpetrator died at the scene.
