BY MIKE CETERA
Do you attend NIU? Do you know someone who does? Share your thoughts on the Northern Illinois University shooting after the jump.
* There's now a seventh person confirmed dead from the shooting.
* The gunman was once honored by the school.
* In response to the shooting, one group says students should be allowed to carry guns with them to school to protect themselves.
* Here's a running chronology of the shooting and its aftermath from the campus security Web site.
* Find video here.
* Find other blogs discussing the shooting here.
* See the Facebook page dedicated to the shooting here.
* See the MySpace Northern Illinois University group page here.
Here are some of the comments from the MySpace page:
* What a crazy day indeed. What NIU student didn't have at least one gen ed class in Cole Hall? It was weird to be hearing the reports on the news and knowing exactly what the eyewitnesses were talking about in terms of location, and seeing familiar faces on the news reports. I lived in Neptune East, at the very south end of the building . I could have thrown a rock and hit Cole Hall. It really takes something like this hitting close to home to really strike your heart. My thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims and families of those affected by the events of today. Kevin NIU class of '03
* I'm a 2001 NIU Graduate and (unfortaunately) I have not been back to NIU's campus since then. However, today's news hit me as though I was still an active student there. Seeing images of buildings that I had been in and out of several times over 4 years, as an innocent 17-18-19-and 20 year old. College is supposed to be "safe." You are supposed to be able to go into classes without the fear of guns or sadistic fools. My thoughts and prayers are with all of the people and the families affected by the tragic events of today. It affects everyone differently and everyone will rely on each other to pull through. God bless.
* Such a sad day for NIU. Its never fun to hear about these types of things on the news, but its completely different to have it happen so close to home. I was in lockdown at barsema, and we were watching helicopter footage from only a short distance away, it was hard to believe what was happening. Please keep these students in your thoughts and prayers.
I have several friends at NIU. It was a scary hour or so until I finally got in touch with them online. One thing I can say for sure, this shooting will not be blamed on video games. Why? Because anyone who has played any shooter game knows that shot guns have a very short lethal range with a wide spread. The shooter's poor choice of weapon is why so many people are still alive. The Cole Hall is huge and seats nearly 1000 students for lectures. The size of the room and the shooter's weapon of choice is a blessing in disguise, as morbid as that sounds.
With a different weapon, we'd be looking at 18 (or whatever the current count is) dead instead of 18 people who need to go get shotgun pellets removed from their skin.
It is amazingly disturbing how these shootings are becoming such common place lately. I really don't know what can be done to stop them either. Metal detectors and security guards most likely won't stop an armed maniac dead set on killing as many people as they can before killing themselves.
Hearing on CNN (Lou Dobbs Tonight) there are now 5 dead in this horrendous shooting CLTV also reports 5 deaths.
My heart and prayers go out the students, their families and the local community.
Many people in the news tonight are calling DeKalb a small rural community. That may be true when NIU is not in session, but when school is in, it's a well-populated community with great diversity, pulling in students from all over, but many from Chicago and vicinity. It just isn't the isolated rural campus that the news has been portraying it as. However, these things can happen anywhere.
I know that current thinking seems to be that we can't monitor the activity around an open college campus the way we can other schools, but I feel it's time we make a change in that thinking. There is no reason that metal detectors and security personnel couldn't be implemented at a entrance to this lecture hall, and the other buildings on campus. Our students must be protected from behavior that seems to be becoming more common. Students in a large classroom are much too easy a target for someone that can walk in the building with a weapon. If these were downtown office buildings and there had been threats regarding this type of incident a few months ago, the security would have happened. Our young students deserve the same.
My son's fiancée attends NIU. We got text messages from her, but the cells were too busy to get an actual call through for quite a while this evening. She and my son are visibly shaken, we all are.
My prayers go out to all of those effected by this tragedy. I used to teach in Aurora and many of my former students and friends went/go to NIU. Remember that in all of the evil in the world, God is still good, God still loves you and Jesus will walk with you in this time of mourning and confusion. Hold on to Jesus and He will see you through this with a peace that surpasses all peace. God bless you all.
I know of students/friends who attend and work at NIU. I can only imagine the terror they felt while the ordeal was going on. My prayers go out to everyone at the whole campus. I know how FEAR can impede us to not continuing doing things that mean a lot to us....but the only way to get over ur fear is by taking small steps and moving in the direction you were before of all...continue going to school, and just make ur mark, and that coward who didn't have the audacity to get himself help and decided to hurts others, will be looking down upset that he couldn't break you..he couldn't break your spirit of learning and living! God bless and all of you are heroes for watching out for one another!!!
I am so sorry to hear of the deaths on the N.I.U. campus it is a tragedy. My point is simple and some gun loving right to bear arm nuts will strongly disagree. I ask you, why is it the government mandates in Illinois that you wear a seatbelt, while driving? Why do they mandate that you can no longer smoke inside in a public place? They say it is for the safety of its people. If the state and the federal government really wanted to protect its people it would BAN GUNS. People with guns kill people everyday and I am sick of it. How many innocent people have to die, before we accept this concept? Some people that are driving drunk illegally also own guns. Some people that are doing illegal drugs also own guns. Those people may have obtained those guns through legal channels but the results are the same ANYONE at ANYTIME can snap and go on a shooting spree. Unless we want to go back to the OLD WILD WESTERN times where everyone carries a gun. I see only one solution, a civilized society that we have labeled ourselves should BAN guns from all of its citizens. I know you right to bear arms nuts will argue if a student had had a gun at N.I.U. he could have used it to protect himself and others. The underlying fact, however; is that if NO ONE outside of law enforcement had guns, none of those students would have died at all and all these senseless shootings would stop. That is the America I want to live. That is the America I would feel safe in.
What a tragedy... hitting so close to home. I live 15 minutes from DeKalb and I am in shock. My thoughts and prayers are not only with the vitims and families but everyone around them.
My sympothy goes out to all the victims and their families and also to all of the students and faculty at NIU for having to go through such a tragedy. I can picture Cole hall and picture the rooms almost exactly as they are. I had a couple classes their during my time at NIU and cant imagine having to crawl out of there to try and save your life especially in those circumstances. I guess the gunman has left a whole new meaning to the "Valentines Day Massacre" for eveyone at NIU. Its awful how a day that should be full of love had to end in a day of sadness, fear, and death. As for the gunman I feel no sympathy at all but anger for his cowardness. He leaves the aftermath of this tragedy for the students, faculty, family, friends, and authorities to deal with. I just don't understand. I don't think anyone ever will. Again my greatest sympathy for all the victims and their families and all the students and faculty at NIU. CLASS OF 2003.
I can't belive this again a gunmen and a school maybe if the media stopped shoeing on the news every two seconds these people wouldn't do this the media makes them look as if the are some kind of superstars it's too bad that i cant evan send my kids to scholl with out worring if some kid with low esteem will get his 5 minutes of fame by taking my child life lets put a stop to this!!!!! call your local T.V. station demand that they find more to report about!!!!!
CNN is now reporting
Police: Campus gunman reportedly off his meds
My daughter was a post-grad student teaching a class at NIU four years ago. She lives in Reno now and still was shaken by the news..
The shear randomness of life in this world is a worrisome thing..I mean, you can
always leave the house and get hit by a bus or something. But just last week someone
robbed a Lane Bryant store at a strip mail in a south Chicago suburb and killed five women,
two of them customers that just happened to walk in on the robbery..you can be shot
at work, while shopping, at the freakin' McDonalds..anywhere. I think businesses and
schools (and parents)are going to have to add, along with tornado and fire drills,
"GUN!" to their safety teaching. When a gun is seen, someone shouts it out and
everyone should know what to do. It might save a life. It sucks. But it is a reality
in todays world.I plan to advocate this idea. I don't know what else to do..And do not preach gun control to me.If guns were illegal tomorrow, it would take years to make them go away and you will Never get them all. We need a plan to save lives NOW.
As a 1995 NIU graduate, living in Mississippi, I was shocked when I heard the news of this tragedy. It has affected me greatly, even 500+ miles away.!!! My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of those affected by this horror and to all students on campus having to deal with this for the rest of their lives. Huskie pride is strong. All alumnus of NIU have been affected by this and feelings of hopelessness fill myself and possibly all. GO HUSKIES!!!!
That is me on the front page being led out of Cole Hall and it didn't sink in until I received a call from home mentioning today's front page of the Beacon News. It is so surreal and campus has gone under a complete reformation. It is so quiet and everyone has pretty much returned home. While, there is a feeling of fear and sadness there is also one of unity, which we need most at this time. I can only continue to pray for everyone and thank God for my life!
Thank God the NIU Police responded so quickly. College campus law enforcement is becoming more challenging and dangerous than municipal police work. Has anyone asked Waubonsee Community College why their Board and Executives still don't allow their cops to carry guns on duty? How will they protect our kids if they don't have the necessary tools? At least NIU was prepared!
Well, NIU was prepared in so much as they made it to the scene extremely quickly after being notified that there was an incident and all that were going to be killed or wounded had already been killed or wounded, and the gunman had already done himself in. What is NIU, and all our other "open" college campuses doing to PREVENT these types of incidents? (I do COMMEND all of the police and emergency/medical personnel for their quick and capable work AFTER the fact, that was certainly apparent. It's not their fault that they are called in after the shooting had occurred and was all over.) I also know that the emergency communication systems have been improved--kudos for this. This is still an after-the-fact reactive response.
I don't believe that putting handguns in teacher's or student's hands is the answer. I can see that this type of situation would put responsibility on those that may not be trained or deserve that kind of responsibility in an extremely stressful situation like this.
People believe that we can't have security/metal detectors at entrances to these buildings. Why not? If this gunman knew (and also the Virginia Tech gunman) that he couldn't just walk in a building with multiple loaded weapons, he would not have chosen classrooms/auditoriums where students and faculty are literally sitting ducks with no easy escape and with no protection other than security patrols that are getting to the scene (bravely, I might add) too late to be effective. Yes, he may have gone on a rampage elsewhere, perhaps outdoors...but perhaps there would have been less victims sitting as easy prey for his deranged violence. It's not security's fault, with the way things are set up on campuses today. The are forced to be re-active rather than pro-active.
I know that the argument is to stop the violence to begin with. People have said that we should screen our students and keep an eye on them. Yes, this could be helpful, but it won't stop an individual that doesn't want to be stopped. It's unfortunate that I'm talking security personnel and metal detectors (bag searches?) at campus building entrances, but we are trying to do that at other public schools, why not for our universities? It's a fact in today's society. We have this for many busy office buildings where we, as "adults" want to be safe. Why aren't we doing this for our university students and faculty? If you tell me that cost is a factor, how much will NIU pay out in possible lawsuits regarding this incident, and how much are the lives lost worth? We pay more and more every year for higher education, tack it on and stop the "sitting duck" violence.
Once again, my son's fiancée is a student at NIU, she is just 19. She was taken back to campus yesterday to collect some things, as she doesn't think she will be back on Monday, and was too afraid to drive herself back.
I pray for all involved. Strength and Peace.
I respectfully post this and don't intend to belittle anyone touched by this random act of violence. A co-worker of mine lost a child in this incident and grieve for him and his family.
This is yet another murder in a "gun free zone." This kid jumped through all the hoops the state has in place. In the state of Illinois, in order for an individual to purchase a firearm he must first have a magic FOID card.
To get a FOID card, you must send an application to the state and after they check to verify you have no criminal background they send you ID card. This process takes 30 days. Then after you get your magic FOID card and make the actual purchase of a firearm you must wait an additional week before you can take delivery of said firearm.
How many times must we face this kind of tragedy before we realize the problem isn't the firearm?
The same people advocating complete disarmament of law abiding citizens are the ones saying call the police when a crime occurs. Why is that? Is it because criminals respect police officers so much that they'll automatically give up once you pull out your phone?
Of course this a rhetorical question, but I'll give the answer anyway. The answer is they want you to call the police because the POLICE HAVE GUNS! Criminals don't want to die. When faced with the business end of a firearm, they give up.
When a murderer wants to murder and doesn't care about his own life there is only one solution. That solution isn't to disarm honest citizens
Admitedly this is terrible to say, but the only way to stop a suicidal shooter is to kill him first.
If guns cause crimes, why aren't there murders and robberies where everyone is armed, like police stations, gun shows & shops and firing ranges?
Everywhere citizens have been "allowed" to exercise their unalienable right to keep and bear arms openly crime rates go down.
We keep hearing the doom and gloom of "wild west shootouts" or "traffic incidents that become shootouts" but they DO NOT HAPPEN. They said it about Ohio, it didn't happen. It doesn't happen in Arizona where honest citizens exercise their right to keep and bear arms, it doesn't happen in Texas, it doesn't happen in Florida, it doesn't happen in Michigan.
IT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
But don't listen to me, do research on your own and prove me wrong. CCW is what conceal carry licenses are refered to as. Find all the incidents of CCW holders committing crimes. I'd be willing to bet that less than 1/1000 of 1% of CCW holders commit criminal offenses.
Prepare for the worst.
Hope for the best.
Thank you for your time.
More details emerging concerning the shooter at NIU as the investigation continues.
According to AP (as reported on CNN)
It would seem that a serious revamping and review of existing laws, regulations and requirement by our State and Federal
lawmakers is long overdue. Both the VA Tech and NIU shooters purchased from the same online gun store.
IN a recent story in the Beacon, Rep. Tom Cross rolled out a number of proposed Bills to protect minors online from 'predators'.
I feel it is high time to also correct gaps and loopholes in existing gun laws and regulations concerning the issuing
of FOID cards, sales of firearms online and gun shows. Also tightening the review requirements and disclosures for
acquiring a FOID card, with manditory periodic reviews to ensure that no substantial changes have occurred since the original issue of the FOID card.
My personal comment is how many more schools need to become battle grounds and how many more people must die before we finally wake up and realize our gun controls laws inadequate.
By the way, I used to own a Glock 21, HK USP40, and a Kalishnikov. Why did I get rid of them? Because I didn't want my daughters finding them and accidently shooting themselves. How many times have unsuspecting kids found a gun in the house and someone ended up getting killed or maimed? Too many times to count if you ask me.
How many more times must we listen to the gun lobby say, "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." Well, let me tell you, how far would the guy got with a knife? It's time to disarm this nation and get rid of our Rambo mentality. That same Rambo mentality got us into Iraq as well.
I have a child on campus at NIU and I don't believe you could do more on any campus to make your children safe. You are not safe at any shopping mall or park or church service. I'm sorry but it's true. You can't put a metal detector everywhere and if they want to do this they will find a way. I took my daughter back to NIU today to visit the memorial and to get some posessions from her room. She couldn't bear to stand in the area of the buildings or the memorial she was frightened. She wanted to go to show support and to sign the banner. I found myself wondering about how Steve Kasmierzcak slipped thru the cracks but I wonder if he did. He started buying guns in August, not just two weeks ago. He told his girlfriend they were for protection around the house.He purchased more guns and she didn't get this information from him. He lied to her about where he was going. He went off his medication just before (two weeks) he fully ramped up and took delivery of the last guns. He checked into the motel using cash and a first name. He sent packages to his girlfriend. He brought the guitar cases to hide the guns as he walked the short distance to the building. But for me the final straw was seeing all the over the counter cold meds and caffiene drinks he loaded up on in his room. He was flying high i"m sure. Now I have all the empathy in the world for a person with mental illness but when he can't refill his med because "he feels like a zombie" and jacks himself up on cold meds and caffiene I get a different picture in my head. This poor guy had gone full tilt and had no safety net but further didn't want one.I don't know how you protect the world from that. That's not a gun issue it's a mental illness issue.