Cops: Gunman felt slighted by students

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A nursing student expelled from a small Christian university was upset about being teased over his poor English skills when he opened fire at the school, going from room to room in a rampage that left six students and a secretary dead, police said yesterday.

One L. Goh, 43, forced the secretary into a classroom at Oikos University in Oakland on Monday, told people to line up and, when some didn't cooperate, began his shooting spree, police Chief Howard Jordan said.

"It's very, very sad," Jordan said. "We have seven people who didn't deserve to die and three others wounded because [of] someone who couldn't deal with the pressures of life."

Goh, a South Korean national, was expelled in January for behavioral problems, the chief said. He appeared to have been planning the attack for weeks.

He was upset with administrators and several students at the college, which an official said offered classes in Korean and English.

"They disrespected him, laughed at him," Jordan said. "They made fun of his lack of English-speaking skills. It made him feel isolated compared to the other students."

Jordan said Goh tried to find a female administrator Monday and began shooting when he learned she wasn't there. The victims, who range in age from 21 to 40, were from various countries, including Nigeria, Nepal and the Philippines. "It is very disturbing, especially given the magnitude of this incident," he said. "While he's being very cooperative with us, you expect some level of remorse."

Police were still looking for the gun used, which Jordan described as a semiautomatic handgun that was purchased legally. Goh has no criminal history, but he has debts and minor traffic citations in his former home state of Virginia and was evicted from one apartment complex.