In_a_Word
02-15-08, - 08:40 AM
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DEKALB, Ill. - Another student shot has died after a former student armed with two handguns and a shotgun opened fire at a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University, bringing the toll to seven, including the gunman, the DeKalb Co. coroner told NBC News Friday. At least 15 others were injured.
University President John G. Peters described Thursday's attack as a “very brief, rapid-fire assault.” Fifteen other students were injured by gunfire or flying glass, authorities said.
All of the victims were students, including the shooter and the instructor, a graduate teaching assistant, who survived, Peters said. At least one of the wounded were hospitalized in critical condition.
The gunman, who was not identified, was a former graduate student at NIU but had since enrolled at another college, Peters said. None of the victims were identified pending notification of their families.
University Police Chief Donald Grady said police knew of no motive for the shooting, which occurred about 3 p.m. CT in an introductory geology class in an auditorium inside Cole Hall. The campus is in DeKalb, a city of 40,000 in a rural area about 65 miles west of downtown Chicago. Its enrollment is more than 25,000.
Paul Sundstrom of Rockford, Ill., one of 150 to 200 students in the class when the shooting took place, told NBC affiliate WMAQ that the gunman was a thin white man wearing a black “beanie” and a black trench coat.
The man entered the room from behind the instructor and, without saying a word, began shooting from the stage, Sundstrom and other witnesses said. Firing in the general direction of the students, he emptied a clip of ammunition and calmly reloaded before resuming firing.
“He just walked in and just started shooting at people randomly,” Sundstrom said. “I crawled out to the main aisle, then just got up and ran and turned around and saw him shooting.”
Sundstrom added: “I just don’t know why anybody would want to do anything like this.”
Eighteen victims were brought to Kishwaukee Community Hospital, where one died, according to the hospital’s Web site. One male was transferred in critical condition and died at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, an official said.
Threat closed school in December
NIU was shut down for a day in December after graffiti were scrawled on a restroom wall warning of a shooting on campus. A spokesman said the warning, which was discovered Dec. 10, made reference to the massacre of 33 people last year at Virginia Tech University. Peters said Thursday’s shootings were not believed to be connected with the threat, but he would not rule it out.
Virginia Tech’s president, Charles W. Steger, said Thursday’s events “certainly bring to mind the hurt, pain and trauma we experienced less than a year ago.” He said he had sent Peters condolences and an offer of assistance.
“Our university community was bolstered and comforted by the outpouring of support from campuses around the nation and the world,” Steger said in a statement. “I am sure that expressions of support from the Virginia Tech community will mean much to that now suffering campus community.”
DEKALB, Ill. - Another student shot has died after a former student armed with two handguns and a shotgun opened fire at a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University, bringing the toll to seven, including the gunman, the DeKalb Co. coroner told NBC News Friday. At least 15 others were injured.
University President John G. Peters described Thursday's attack as a “very brief, rapid-fire assault.” Fifteen other students were injured by gunfire or flying glass, authorities said.
All of the victims were students, including the shooter and the instructor, a graduate teaching assistant, who survived, Peters said. At least one of the wounded were hospitalized in critical condition.
The gunman, who was not identified, was a former graduate student at NIU but had since enrolled at another college, Peters said. None of the victims were identified pending notification of their families.
University Police Chief Donald Grady said police knew of no motive for the shooting, which occurred about 3 p.m. CT in an introductory geology class in an auditorium inside Cole Hall. The campus is in DeKalb, a city of 40,000 in a rural area about 65 miles west of downtown Chicago. Its enrollment is more than 25,000.
Paul Sundstrom of Rockford, Ill., one of 150 to 200 students in the class when the shooting took place, told NBC affiliate WMAQ that the gunman was a thin white man wearing a black “beanie” and a black trench coat.
The man entered the room from behind the instructor and, without saying a word, began shooting from the stage, Sundstrom and other witnesses said. Firing in the general direction of the students, he emptied a clip of ammunition and calmly reloaded before resuming firing.
“He just walked in and just started shooting at people randomly,” Sundstrom said. “I crawled out to the main aisle, then just got up and ran and turned around and saw him shooting.”
Sundstrom added: “I just don’t know why anybody would want to do anything like this.”
Eighteen victims were brought to Kishwaukee Community Hospital, where one died, according to the hospital’s Web site. One male was transferred in critical condition and died at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, an official said.
Threat closed school in December
NIU was shut down for a day in December after graffiti were scrawled on a restroom wall warning of a shooting on campus. A spokesman said the warning, which was discovered Dec. 10, made reference to the massacre of 33 people last year at Virginia Tech University. Peters said Thursday’s shootings were not believed to be connected with the threat, but he would not rule it out.
Virginia Tech’s president, Charles W. Steger, said Thursday’s events “certainly bring to mind the hurt, pain and trauma we experienced less than a year ago.” He said he had sent Peters condolences and an offer of assistance.
“Our university community was bolstered and comforted by the outpouring of support from campuses around the nation and the world,” Steger said in a statement. “I am sure that expressions of support from the Virginia Tech community will mean much to that now suffering campus community.”