Oregon Shooter Chris Harper-Mercer Was Discharged from Army, Had History of Mental Health Problems (VIDEO)

The shooter has roots in L.A. County's South Bay, including attending a school for kids with emotional and behavioral problems, the Switzer Learning Center in Torrance. See Robert Stacy McCain, "Reports: Chris Harper Mercer, 26, Identified as #UCCShooting Gunman."

And now there's more details about this individual's psychologically-troubled background. At the Oregonian, "Shooter Chris Harper-Mercer was discharged from Army, experienced apparent mental health issues":

A darker picture emerged Friday of slain Umpqua Community College shooter Chris Harper-Mercer as a deeply troubled, anti-religion, anti-government recluse obsessed with guns.

The U.S. Army discharged him just five weeks into basic training in 2008. Records indicate he graduated in 2009 from a high school catering to troubled and special-needs students. Multiple media sources reported Friday he left behind an angry note that is now in the hands of investigators.

The Los Angeles Times said Harper-Mercer's note was several pages long and talked about his anger and depression.

Sofia Camarena of Long Beach, California, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that she used to date Harper-Mercer's father."I used to change Chris' diapers when he was a baby," she said, upset after learning that he was the shooter in Thursday's massacre and was himself dead. "He was born with problems. He was hard to discipline. If you told him 'no,' he would scream like you had just hit him."

Camarena said that she had heard Harper-Mercer's mother was having "a hard time" with him and that he attended a special school.

Camarena said she last saw Harper-Mercer when he was 18 and she had asked him how he was doing.  "He said he was doing good," said Camarena, whose son went on to marry Harper-Mercer's step-sister.

There are a number of indications that Harper-Mercer had mental health or behavioral issues. His screen name on some social media sites was "lithium love." Lithium is used as a psychiatric medication.

Harper-Mercer graduated from The Switzer Learning Center in 2009, according to a graduation listing in The Daily Breeze newspaper. Switzer Center is a private, nonprofit school in Torrance, California, geared for special education students with a range of issues from learning disabilities, health problems and autism or Asperger's Disorder, according to the school's website.

"They take in students that are referred to them by the surrounding school districts," said Thomas Buescher, former chairman of the Switzer board. Enrollment typically ranges between 90 and 100, Buescher said. Two-thirds come from a nontraditional household, like a group home or foster home, according to Buescher, who said a high proportion also come from low-income homes.

A neighbor told The New York Times that Harper-Mercer's mother had told a neighbor, "My son is dealing with some mental issues," and was intolerant of roaches that had infested the building.

Witnesses said Harper-Mercer singled out the religious during the shooting. He reportedly asked students and staff their religion and shot those who answered they were Christians.

The U.S. Army confirmed Friday it discharged Harper-Mercer just halfway through his 10 weeks of basic training in 2008. "A review of Army records indicate that Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer was in service at Ft. Jackson, S.C., from 5 November-11 December 2008 but discharged for failing to meet the minimum administrative standards to serve in the U.S. Army," said Lt. Col. Ben Garrett.

Garrett declined to elaborate on what those "minimum administrative standards" were.

There's also evidence Harper-Mercer tried to engage with the world...

Still more.

And here's the Los Angeles Times, "Oregon gunman left hate-filled note and long struggled with mental issues, sources say."