Alek Skarlatos Leaves DWTS Rehearsals, Shooting Took Place At Oregon College He Attended
Did some of you notice the tweet below by Alek Skarlatos? The shooting that took place today happened at his former college. In fact, if he wasn’t doing Dancing With The Stars right now, he had planned to go back to this college to finish school. If you can, watch On The Record tonight to see Alek talking about it. You can also read a quote from TMZ below. Please send out your thoughts and prayers!!
Everyone send prayers out to ucc
— alek skarlatos (@alekskarlatos) October 1, 2015
From TMZ….
Terror train hero Alek Skarlatos was rehearsing for “Dancing with the Stars” when he got gut-wrenching news — his college was under attack from the shooter who killed 13 people on Thursday.
Sources at ‘DWTS’ tell us Skarlatos was in the middle of rehearsals with Lindsay Arnold when he got a phone call about the tragic shooting at Umpqua Community College. In addition to the 13 fatalities, police say the shooter injured at least 20 others.
We’re told Alek immediately left the studio when he got the news, and was making calls back home to make sure his friends were safe.
ETA: Below is Alek and Lindsay doing The Ellen taping yesterday. He talks about what happened at his school at the 4:00 minute mark. So sad. Keep praying, Everyone.
ETA2: Alek released a statement to Access Hollywood as well….
Alek, who received global accolades after he and two other men thwarted an alleged terrorist attack on a Paris train in August, released a statement to Access Hollywood following the tragedy.
“I was enrolled as a student at Umpqua Community College prior to my 2014 deployment to Afghanistan. While I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time in August aboard a train bound for Paris, I only wish that the same could be said for today,” the 22-year-old said.
“I praise the first responders who were on the ground today in Roseburg as they undoubtedly were integral in saving numerous lives and putting a stop to what could have been more than tragic than it is,” he continued. “My heart and prayers go out to this community, my community, right now.”
ETA3: Below is Alek on GMA this morning. Thanks to @Idolxfactor1 for recording….
Oh my goodness how awful! I’m still in college myself and sometimes in class I think about where I would hide if a shooting ever happened. How awful! I hope that no one close to him passed away, but still so sad that there were fatalities. Very glad he wasn’t there right now.
This must be very stressful for him. First Afghanistan then the train in France and now this.
Oh my gosh. I hope all of Alek’s friends are okay. I did hear a teacher was killed.
Seems to me if Alek hadn’t saved all those lives on that Paris train, he may have been sitting a classroom today in that very college. Someone is looking over him… that’s for sure.
Someone just tweeted me a video of Alek & Lindsay at the Ellen taping today – god, the look on his face as he’s talking about the shooting just guts me. He mentioned that the shooter started in Snyder Hall – where he had classes. I’m so glad that Alek wasn’t there when it all went down, but part of me wonders if he feels a bit guilty that he wasn’t – as if he may have been able to help, had he actually been there. It’s got to be a bit of a mind trip to think that he managed to randomly thwart a terrorist attack on a train – but couldn’t be there to help stop a shooting at his own college. No wonder he headed home to Roseberg tonight 🙁
My heart aches for the victims! And for Alek, too. Agreed, Courtney. He may be feeling guilt. It is not easy to deal with. Hope he bounces back from this soon. And I still can’t wrap my head around how some people have very low regard for life nowadays. Prayers and healing for the families of the victims.
It’s absolutely heartbreaking for the victims, their families, and for Alek. They are in my prayers.
@nobleze, I’m not sure it’s that “some people have very low regard for life nowadays”. That assumes those doing the shooting are capable of making rational moral judgments which often doesn’t turn out to be the case. I think there are a lot of emotionally unstable people with not enough access to adequate mental health services and with easy access to firearms.
I’ve been offline for most of the day, but living 180 miles from Roseberg, OR and working for a Company that owns one of the Hospitals where several of the victims are being treated I’ve been acutely aware of this horrific tragedy allday. My roommate has family in that small town and thankfully they are all safe and accounted for. At one point today I actually thought of Alek and will continue to hold a thought for him, the victims, their families, the responders, the students, teachers and administrators and everyone effected. It’s just devastating. And if TBTB try to do anything to create drama around this, they will have lost a viewer in me forever. If Alek is on his way home, it’s because he knows that’s where he needs to be. Nothing but respect.
I think alek did post something on his instagram I think? I can’t remember, but he did state that he wonders if he had been there if he could have prevented it. So sad. ? these things are so preventable.
This just makes me too sad. Love and prayers to all affected.
Post updated with the Ellen Show appearance. So sad!!!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ellen tearing it up and fighting the tears like that before. Thank goodness he was not in Oregon yesterday!
My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families and friends of those deceased and those injured. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for those who survived.
He also released a statement to Access Hollywood which has been added to the first post.
Updated with Alek on GMA this morning!
Sometimes I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that innocent, young loves can be snuffed out in seconds. It’s almost like we as a nation are always waiting for the next mass shooting to happen and that’s a horrific thing.
Thoughts and prayers to Alek and all the everyone at Umpqua Community College.
Condolences to all those who lost loved ones. 🙁
@Susan2 – It’s so sad when your grandkids ask you to take them to the movies and the first thing that pops into my head… Are we going to be safe? It a crazy world we are living in today.
I can’t imagine the sorrow these familes are facing. You send your loved ones off to college only to have them tragically taken from you. My heart is just broken.
I agree. It’s sad we have to think twice about going anywhere these days.
I saw on the news this morning that there has been a mass shooting every week of Obama’s second term. And still, the congress blocked any measure related to gun control or gun regulation – even after Newtown. People should be pissed and voting every one of them out of office. But I have to agree with what Obama said – it’s all becoming too “routine”. He’s pissed about it and so am I. But most people are just numb.
Congress has been trying to block just about every measure of any kind that Obama has proposed. Shame on them! It’s time they get it together and fight for what’s GOOD for this Country.
Part of the problem is that the voters have to DEMAND things to get any movement at all. And they aren’t. They make it very easy for Congress to be slaves to the NRA. Bought and paid for.
He was interviewed briefly this morning on the ABC affiliate KATU but the GMA clip above is much more comprehensive.
And bless him he’s precious “I went to the bathroom so the cameras couldn’t see me”.
Yes ITA its a shame. What will it take to make stricter gun laws. Their always claiming to want to take back America, yet continue to fight the President at every hand. Its a said day in America-I’m not proud that’s for sure.
I am with you Valerie. TPTB better not try to “create” drama out of this or I am gone also.
Call me jaded, but if Congress did not do anything after Newtown, then they will not do anything except sit on there assess and pander to the NRA.
I try not to demonize anyone, but I consider the leadership of the NRA to be one of the most harmful and evil of any organization in the U.S.
They willfully and knowingly turn a blind eye to innocents getting murdered because they have so many congressmen and senators in their back pocket. Bought and restrained.
Katy — My thoughts exactly. If Newtown wasn’t enough to shock Congress into action, I don’t want to think about what, if anything, would be. The NRA has been so successful in wrapping itself in the second amendment I don’t think a lot of people realize that it’s a lobby for gun manufacturers, not a quasi-governmental association promoting democracy. Greed is not good.
I agree about the NRA. I don’t like guns and don’t want any and I do believe that their are certain rights allowing gun ownerswhip but the problem with the NRA is they paint any changes as taking away all guns. They do not want any regulation and have a ton of money to make what they want happen. They paint the picture of any change taking away rights. It is all or nothing for the NRA. I am sure there are many members who would support logical, reasonable legislation but it seems that most of the elected officials are too afraid to stand up for what is right. Sound familiar?
Susan2 — I have no trouble demonizing, so let me pick up where you left off. As distasteful as the NRA is, it is doing what a commercial enterprise is supposed to do in our capitalist system: garner as large a market for your product as possible and then protect it. As bleak as it may sound, they are under no obligation to protect innocents. Congress, however, is another matter entirely. That is most specifically their job, to mediate the imbalance in power between innocents and industry, things the “market” will never do on its own. It sounds so trite, but I honestly don’t know how they can live with themselves knowing all the devastation they’ve condoned for the sake of their personal enrichment. It is a tragedy, and an indictment.
They very blithely blame it all on mental illness, then go pray about it. Problem solved. I doubt very much that our country has MORE mental illness than all the other industrialized nations put together. But we certainly have way more guns.
It’s too bad they can’t meet in the middle somehow and just do something about both (mental health and more gun restrictions). Even the smallest thing on both sides could make a difference. But, our politicians are too stubborn for that. Not to mention…stupid.
Agreed, PH, mental illness is certainly part of the equation but the other part is ready availability of guns. It’s typical of our society to only look at half the problem.
Vogue, I think our Senators and Representatives are always looking out for themselves first, and their driving motivation is getting re-elected. What gets them re-elected is pandering to their base. The Republican base (in particular) has a mantra of “no compromise”. So the chances of getting movement toward the middle is well nigh impossible.
When my kids were in elementary school and middle school, my son mentioned to me a couple of boys who had real issues. Not the type of kid that you can work with and talk to and try to help resolve things but the type of kid who randomly stabs a pencil into someone’s arm when angry (and this at a public school in a highly educated neighborhood with good jobs – not an area where self-defense is necessary on a day-to-day basis). These middle school and then high school age kids would vent by using tools at hand. The trouble now is that the tools at hand are easily accessed guns. Totally different now. Pencil, knife, fists, etc. hurt one person at a time. Guns-many
I encourage everyone who has strong opinions, concerns, horror, etc to write to your congressmen. They need to hear from us to know the wishes of those they represent. One letter may not seem like much, but if all concerned wrote it could make a difference.
Alek is doing us all proud, focusing on what matters. Let’s all do our part.
Well said QuandMeme!
Peace and Prayers for all
Honestly, I’ve never really been a gun enthusiast but I just don’t understand how it is legal for people to go into gun stores and buy guns that are automatic like an AK or other guns that are used in the military, for people who are TRAINED on how to handle them.
It’s interesting and sad at the same time that.. when we hear about these mass shootings, they have become too routine that some people just think “oh another one?” and go about their day.
Once Sandy hook happened, the government or congress should have put in some sort of gun control regulation, like doing more background checks, doing mental health checks (yearly), and stop selling these automatic guns.
Coming at this a bit late, but I figured I’d point out that CT (my home state, though no longer my home) *did* enact common sense gun reforms after the Sandy Hook shooting . . . and gun deaths are already down by over 1/3.
Sam, that worked in other areas that enacted sensible gun reforms – unfortunately, when you’re surrounded by areas with no gun reform, it doesn’t do as much good as it could.
Today on Meet the Press they compared what you have to do to be able to drive a car, to what you have to do to own a gun – it’s quite a shocking comparison.
That’s so awesome, Sam. I wish other States would do the same!!
I went to Google and typed: List of school shooting in the U.S. and was shocked at what I found.
@KreatK – Just saw on the news that a potential High School shooting was thwarted (in time)…. WTH is going on!
You know even in elementary school they have certain trained faculty members that deal specifically with the unruly children. Ones that may act out in class, show violent tendencies, or suffer from having issues at home. The list goes on…. I was shocked.
I guess I’ll go crawl back under that rock of mine.
PH, and when you consider that in some states about all you have to do to get a driver’s license is be breathing, that makes it even more unbelievable.
I always want to be able to see a variety of sides to arguments on issues, but I just can’t change my mind or heart, I am extremely on the side of very strict gun control. I’m so effing tired of this. Enough! There will always be people with mental health issues and hateful religious dogma, but it’s when they’re so easily able to obtain guns we’ve got a huge problem.
It’s not only NRA or congress, it’s we the people. Don’t vote for people who don’t support strict gun laws imo that’s the only way congress will do anything about it, if they are afraid of losing their seat. As it stands they know most voters don’t care enough about this issue to make it a single issue for voting. I hate the NRA but again, if enough people cared enough to have the issue affect their voting congress would do something. Rant over.
In the interest of keeping things copacetic, I would say we probably need to move the discussion back toward DWTS.
Off topic, but does anyone know who Alek likely has for switch up week?
I’m with ya, Jess.