I'm in Roseburg. You'd be surprised how much is unclear down here, a day after one of the worst mass shootings in the country's history. Ten people are dead, including the shooter.

The victims? Still officially unconfirmed, though bits and pieces are coming to light. There's an anti-Christianity thread that's emerged in some witness accounts, but the authorities are being frustratingly silent on that—along with any mental health issues that killer Chris Harper Mercer might have had treatment for, and any information he might have left behind.

The sheriff down here—a Second Amendment buff named John Hanlin—won't even say the killer's name because he says it glorifies the killer and the act. He's not the only person that thinks that, but it's not stopped the majority of outlets from identifying Harper-Mercer.

What we do know comes from sources pressed at the margins via phone conversations or home visits.

After chatting with witnesses and families last night, and attending a big candlelight vigil, I've been at every press conference that's been held today—a 6 am red-eye at Roseburg's Mercy Medical Center, and a couple of appearances at a police and fire building right downtown. Here's the most interesting bits:

•Mercer had 13 guns in his possession, according to a Celinez Nunez, an agent with the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Six of those guns—five pistols and a rifle—were found with Mercer at Umpqua Community College, along with a bulletproof vest and five magazines of ammo. Seven of the guns were at his home. There was reference to a 14th gun, but it sounds like Mercer just traded that in for one of the weapons used in the attack.

Did Mercer come by the guns illegally? Nope. Nunez said all of them were purchased in line with the law, some of them by his family, and most of them in the last three years.

Sheriff John Hanlin was asked whether he thought it was excessive that Mercer had all these guns. Hanlin's been catching fire for his take on gun control. Here's his answer to the question: "In Oregon? This is a hunting state. Firearms are popular in most households."

•A relative of US Sen Jeff Merkley died in the attack. Merkley flew in from Washington to appear this morning, along with Sen. Ron Wyden, US Rep Peter DeFazio, and Gov Kate Brown. He was born in nearby Myrtle Creek, spent time in Roseburg as a child, and still has family in the area.

His first cousin's great-granddaughter was among those dead. The Senator said this morning he "never thought it could possibly be" his family that would be affected. "Every heart is broken." It's something you hear again and again in tiny Roseburg. Everyone—from hospital staff and police officers to the construction workers getting their morning Starbucks—seems to have a personal stake in the attack.

Merkley's office would not talk about the name of his relative.

Other than that revelation, Oregon's top politicians are doing the whole "it's time to mourn, but we're gonna have to find solutions at some point" thing. Roseburg is a gun-friendly place, and it's pretty clear that too frank a discussion, in the midst of all this pain, is a bad idea. After all, even something as simple as closing a loophole in state background checks for private gun purchases caused all matter of hell in Oregon in the last three years.

When Kate Brown finally signed that law this year, there were threats to have some lawmakers recalled.

There's still so much more to know about this horrific thing. But the pieces are coming slowly. We'll have much more in this week's paper.