Today, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin was the face of the first response to a deadly shooting at a community college in Roseburg, Oregon, that’s already drawing calls for stronger gun control.

Early reports indicate dozens of people were shot – at least 13 fatally – during a Thursday morning shooting at Umpqua Community College. The gunman was among the dead in what’s been regarded as the country’s 45th school shooting of the year.

Two years ago, though, Hanlin was among a group of Oregon sheriffs decrying efforts made by the Obama administration after the massacre at a Connecticut elementary school.

In a letter penned to Vice President Joe Biden on Jan. 15, 2013, Hanlin issued a “formal request that you NOT tamper with or attempt to amend the 2nd Amendment.”

“Gun control is NOT the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shootings,” Hanlin wrote. “Any actions against, or in disregard for our U.S. Constitution and 2nd Amendment rights by the current administration would be irresponsible and an indisputable insult to the American people.”

Praising federal law enforcement Thursday for the help his office received, Hanlin two years ago pledged to refuse to enforce any federal gun laws he believed ran counter to the Second Amendment.

“Any federal regulation enacted by Congress or by executive order of the President offending the Constitutional rights of my citizens shall not be enforced by me or by my deputies, nor will I permit the enforcement of any unconstitutional regulations or orders by federal officers within the borders of Douglas County Oregon,” continued Hanlin, writing one month after a gunman killed 20 children and six adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Hanlin also spoke out against state and federal gun-control legislation last year, telling a legislative committee that mandating background checks for private, person-to-person gun sales would not prevent criminals from getting firearms.

Hanlin told CNN on Friday that his position on gun control had not changed following Thursday's shooting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Seattlepi.com reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.