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| Sheriff John Hanlin (Douglas County Sheriff's Department) |
The reason, it turns out, may be because the sheriff didn't want to give him credit. John Hanlin, the sheriff of Douglas County, Oregon, the gunman carried out his carnage at Umpqua Community College, said the will never utter the name of the man, who was killed by police, and urged the media not to do so either.
"Let me be very clear: I will not name the shooter. I will not give him the credit he probably sought prior to this horrific and cowardly act," Hanlin said at a press conference Thursday night. "Media will get the name confirmed in time. But you will never hear me mention his name."
He also encouraged the media not to use the man's name, even though some already had done so.
"We encourage you not to glorify and create sensationalism for him. He in no way deserves this," Hanlin said.
Media outlets had questioned why the man had not been identified by police even though he had been dead for several hours and his name was showing up on social media.
The debate over whether to name the perpetrators of mass killings has long raged, with some arguing that they are getting glory they seek when they are named. Others the public has a right to know any public information about such crimes, including the name of the perpetrator.
