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Gunman kills 5, injures 16 at Northern Illinois University
Police say shooter killed himself
By Caryn Rousseau and Deanna Bellandi
Associated Press Writers
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UPDATED 10:45 p.m. DEKALB, Ill. -- A former student dressed in black walked onto the stage of a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and opened fire on a packed science class Thursday, killing five students, wounding 16 and setting off a panicked stampede before committing suicide. | Updated photo gallery | Pantagraph Video | NIU campus map | Newman Center mass story

Police say they have no motive for the rapid-fire assault, carried out by the gunman who fired indiscriminately into the crowd with a shotgun and two handguns as students dove to the floor and ran toward the exit. At least two of the wounded were hospitalized in critical condition.

“I kept thinking, ‘Oh God, he’s going to shoot me. Oh God, I’m dead. I’m dead. I’m dead,”‘ said Desiree Smith, a senior journalism major who dropped to the floor near the back of the auditorium.

“People were crawling on each other, trampling each other,” she said. “As I got near the door, I got up and I started running.”

University President John Peters said four students died at the scene, including the gunman, and the other two died at a hospital. The teacher, a graduate student, was wounded but was expected to recover.

Peters said the gunman was a former graduate student in sociology at NIU, but was not currently enrolled at the 25,000-student campus about 65 miles west of Chicago.

“It appears he may have been a student somewhere else,” University Police Chief Donald Grady said.

Witnesses said the skinny gunman, dressed in black and wearing a stocking cap, emerged from behind a screen on the stage of 200-seat Cole Hall and opened fire just as the class was about to end around 3 p.m.

Officials said 162 students were registered for the class but it was unknown how many were there Thursday.

Lauren Carr said she was sitting in the third row when she saw the shooter walk through a door on the right-hand side of the stage, pointing a gun straight ahead.

“I personally Army-crawled halfway up the aisle,” said Carr, a 20-year-old sophomore. “I said I could get up and run or I could die here.”

She said a student in front of her was bleeding, “but he just kept running.”

“I heard this girl scream, ‘Run, he’s reloading the gun.”‘

Student Jerry Santoni was in a back row when he saw the gunman enter a service door to the stage.

“I saw him shoot one round at the teacher,” he said. “After that, I proceeded to get down as fast as I could.”

Santoni dived down, hitting his head the seat in front of him, leaving a knot about half the size of a pingpong ball on his forehead.

Seventeen victims were brought to nearby Kishwaukee Community Hospital, where one died, according to spokeswoman Theresa Komitas. One male was transferred in critical condition and died at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, an official said.

Minutes after the shooting erupted, students phoned each other and sent text messages even before school officials could warn them, many said. The school Web site announced a possible gunman on campus within 20 minutes of the shots and locked down the campus, part of a new security plan created after a student at Virginia Tech killed 32 people last year.

“This is a tragedy, but from all indications we did everything we could when we found out,” Peters said.

Michael Gentile was meeting with two of his students directly beneath the lecture hall when the shootings happened. He could hear the chaos a few feet above his head.

“The shotgun blast must have been so loud,” said Gentile, a 27-year-old media studies instructor. “It sounded like something was dropping down the stairs... We had no idea what this was.”

Then, shorter, sharper noises he recognized as handgun shots.

“There was a pretty quick succession ... just pow, pow, pow,” said Gentile, who didn’t leave his office for about 90 minutes. He used a surveillance camera just outside his office to confirm that the people knocking on his door were police.

George Gaynor, a senior geography student, who was in Cole Hall when the shooting happened, told the student newspaper the Northern Star that the shooter was “a skinny white guy with a stocking cap on.”

He described the scene immediately following the incident as terrifying and chaotic.

“Some girl got hit in the eye, a guy got hit in the leg,” Gaynor said outside just minutes after the shooting occurred. “It was like five minutes before class ended too.”

Witnesses said the young man carried a shotgun and a pistol. Student Edward Robinson told WLS that the gunman appeared to target students in one part of the lecture hall.

“It was almost like he knew who he wanted to shoot,” Robinson said. “He knew who and where he wanted to be firing at.”

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms sent 15 agents to the scene, according to spokesman Thomas Ahern. He said information about the weapons involved would be sent to the ATF’s national database in Washington and given urgent priority. The FBI also was assisting.

All classes were canceled Thursday night and the campus was closed on Friday. Students were urged to call their parents “as soon as possible” and were offered counseling at any residence hall, according to the school Web site.

The school was closed for one day during final exam week in December after campus police found threats, including racial slurs and references to shootings earlier in the year at Virginia Tech, scrawled on a bathroom wall in a dormitory. Police determined after an investigation that there was no imminent threat and the campus was reopened. Peters said he knew of no connection between that incident and Thursday’s attack. Peters said he knew of no connection between that incident and Thursday’s attack.

The shooting was the fourth at a U.S. school within a week.

On Feb. 8, a woman shot two fellow students to death before committing suicide at Louisiana Technical College in Baton Rouge. In Memphis, Tenn., a 17-year-old is accused of shooting and critically wounding a fellow student Monday during a high school gym class, and the 15-year-old victim of a shooting at an Oxnard, Calif., junior high school has been declared brain dead.

Associated Press writers Carla K. Johnson, Michael Tarm, David Mercer, Martha Irvine, Nguyen Huy Vu, Sarah Rafi and Mike Robinson contributed to this report.



Take a look
Illinois State Police Trooper Tim W. Neer answers students question Thursday (Feb. 14, 2008) on Stadium Drive on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. A gunman killed 4 students and injured as many as 14 in a shooting on the campus. (Pantagraph/CARLOS T. MIRANDA)
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Reader comments on this story - 164 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Amazing wrote on Feb 29, 2008 8:32 PM:

" that so few words were spent in this lengthy article about the real reason this happened. "He had stopped taking medication and become somewhat erratic in the last couple of weeks,’’ Grady said, declining to name the drug or provide other details." "

Sigh wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:49 AM:

" Re: “To Sigh”: Look, arguing my point is fine but to say the FBI statistics I am using have been debunked you will need to cite something. My point with the National Association of Police Chiefs and the Law Enforcement Alliance of America is that they are political and their views have no bearing. I never use the opinion NRA as a basis for anything yet you are using such an organization as yours. I haven’t disregarded the FBI– in fact I love the FBI because many of the statistics I use comes from them to show that armed citizens lower crime by deterring it. That said, they are a government agency subject to the political tide of the times and their policies/opinions should be taken with a grain of salt. Furthermore, I have never insulted you, although I have been insulted by you several times (I think, hard to say because you never use the same name). I have called your logic into question as you haven’t actually disproven any of my points other than to say they don’t matter (but not why), which is ludicrous because almost every post of mine has been a response to you. "

My 2 cents wrote on Feb 24, 2008 4:30 PM:

" Has anyone seen the latest comments from mayor Daley ?

I quote "I know many people may not appreciate these proposals - especially the gang bangers, the drug dealers and the thugs who terrorize our neighborhoods with their weapons."

Why in the Sam Hill does he even think that his Gang Bangers .. his Drug Dealers ..
His Thugs .... would give one care in hell if his reccomended laws are passed ?

I swear if Daley had any common sense he would see just how ignorant that comment was !
My 2 cents "

To Parrot: wrote on Feb 23, 2008 3:19 PM:

" The 13 second figure stands Parrot. The only one saying it is false is you. You give NO cites for your false info. You anti-gun nuts are the really pathetic ones here. You want to not only give away your rights but you also want to infringe on mine. 48 states with right to carry and the only bad stories coming out of them are ALL traced back to "GUN FREE ZONES" where "The right of the people to keep and bear arms" was infringed. How do you answer that Parrot? With more of your silly and BASELESS rants? Why not try cited facts for a change? "

To: To Jon 4:08 post wrote on Feb 23, 2008 12:19 PM:

" The problem with your position is that there are 1st graders and there are High Schools and those kids are targets as well. Why do you use the post of someone clearly discredited to defend your position? I do picture my 4 children in a school. I fear for them as I do for people attending a city council meeting guarded by armed , trained, alert, policemen (this is the situation that destroys all of your arguments on CCW...trained cops were overcome and you think students would be able to stop a determined killer?????). I envision a better country. I live in this world and it is inhabited by many like you who think the way to reduce gun violence (in spite of statistics to the contrary) is to have more guns. Completely illogical to most. "

To Sigh 11:51 post wrote on Feb 23, 2008 12:13 PM:

" The "facts" you use have been refuted yet you continue to use them. I pose questions to you asking for information that will convince me to change my mind. You insult, rant, deflect, and call it logic. You quote some obscure group of police and completely disregard the FBI and the National Police Chiefs. That is why is say you mind is made up. I have asked to be converted to your amazing "logic" that having more guns will somehow reduce gun violence and you cannot. I am still waiting. BTW thanks for the insults...you prove you ability to "debate" with each one. LOL. "

To 13 seconds wrote on Feb 23, 2008 12:08 PM:

" The study was refuted by many...liberal and conservative. Your insistence that is is true, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, simply is another example of how the "more guns equal less gun violence" crowd cannot factually support their illogical position. BTW thanks for trowing in the insult...you are so consistent it makes me laugh. "

To Sigh 11:52 post wrote on Feb 23, 2008 12:06 PM:

" The National Association of Police Chiefs is an organization as is the NRA. Both are political both are conservative. What is your point? Second trained police could not stop a person attempting mass murder. Again, why would CCw stop the same situation considering the public will never be as well trained as the police? Third, you say CCW states are safer and then when it is pointed out that Illinois is at an all time low (without the death penalty as well) you say it is irrelevant. How do you explain this contradiction? Last, since you contradict yourself in almost every post all I can say is that you certainly do not have any logical thoughts on the subject at all and I must say you certainly are arrogant. "

(:-D) to Sigh wrote on Feb 23, 2008 7:19 AM:

" Great Argument! Common sense failed us - once, over 500 years ago - so lets abandon it and follow the gun nuts nonsense approach. Nah! "

middle of the road dude wrote on Feb 22, 2008 10:50 PM:

" Violent crime rates have been declining steadily since 1994. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey 2004 (NCVS), from 1993 through 2004, the violent crime rate fell 57 percent and the property crime rate declined by 50 percent.

A high percentage of crime in the United States is directly related to the illegal sale and use of drugs. Drugs are smuggled into the country by organized groups of criminals despite intense efforts by the government to stop the illegal drug trade.
oh btw for the tome frame in your utopia gun free england? knife attacks were up for the same years. "

to sigh wrote on Feb 22, 2008 1:16 PM:

" Those people don't really care who gets hurt. They just want the gangs and punks to be safer. They don't want armed citizens able to protect themselves.
look at the gangs in Chicago. It has been reported for years that gangs have put members through college. Using funds made by black market trade in drugs and yes guns. They have provided education for lawyers, Aldermen, Judges . Who really is behind the crusade to rid guns from society? we know thousands of people that just have to get involved in the FEEL GOOD projects (rid us of this or that ect.) jump right on the band wagon. but as far as Il. goes you have to look at Chicago as a source. Look at the history of organized crime in chicago. combined with the earliest laws on the books forbidding gun ownership completely.
supporting bans, supports gangs
This should be one of their slogans: Support you local Gangs- Ban (market item)
"

Sigh wrote on Feb 22, 2008 9:50 AM:

" Re: "LOL Liberal (:-D) ": Sometimes common sense is wrong, is it not? Wasn’t it once common sense that the sun rotated around the earth because you could see it move in the sky? The Nazis thought it was common sense that the Jews were the cause of all problems in the world (ironically, some of the first anti-Jew laws were to prevent them from owning firearms). “Common sense” is often based on pure opinion and cannot be a valid factor in any argument. As for friendly fire incidents by the military/police - what bearing does that have on civilian CCW? Those professions do typically require more training than the average civilian has (many policemen only shoot their pistols to meet qualifications once or twice a year), but put those people in far different situations than an average person would ever encounter so it is apples to oranges. Is it possible that someone trying to defend themselves will accidentally shoot a bystander? Of course it is, since anything is possible but very unlikely if you look at statistics. Is it better to let someone die because they cannot defend themselves solely based on something that isn’t probable? "

LOL Liberal (:-D) wrote on Feb 21, 2008 11:01 PM:

" Common sense and numerous documented incidents of "friendly fire" by experienced and well trained military personnel and security employees are all I need to make my assumptions about gun nuts like you. "

To LOL Liberal wrote on Feb 21, 2008 9:38 AM:

" Thank you. There are no facts to substantiate your claims of what would happen at a gun show so you resort to name calling. Perhaps I am the intellectually enlightened tolerant one I hear about so often. "

LOL Liberal (:-D) wrote on Feb 20, 2008 8:46 PM:

" Tom Terrific is a complete moron. To think that someone would not be able to off 6-12 gun nuts at a gun nut show is absurd. The only difference would be that the gun nuts would off 6-12 more of their fellow gun nuts in the subsequent gun nut mayhem. Sure, the instigator would be killed in the end, but he usually does that himself anyway. "

WILLIE wrote on Feb 20, 2008 2:20 PM:

" As long as we have students in colleges someone will want to kill them for publicity. The best thing to do is to close all colleges and get an education using the internet. No one will kill you in your house unless you open the door to a stranger. It may not sound like a good idea, so can you think of a better one. "

Sigh wrote on Feb 20, 2008 11:52 AM:

" Re: “To: Sigh”: You do your best to protect high/grade school students by allowing their teachers and administrators to be trained and allowed to conceal carry if they so wish. Innocents will probably still die in school shootings because nothing is absolute BUT it does give someone a legal fighting chance to defend themselves and their helpless students. More mass shootings does not mean more crime as a whole – it just means more mass shootings so you cannot make that connection. That Illinois is at a historical low for murders is irrelevant – it doesn’t prove or disprove my point. It is entirely possible, especially when looking at statistics, that CCW laws would push that number lower or do nothing. Florida crime rate per 100,000 in 1987 (first CCW year)- 8,937; 2006 crime rate- 4,694.7. Texas crime rate for 1996 (first CCW year)- 5,708.9; 2006 crime rate- 4,597.8. These are the actual FBI statistics you get when you google Texas or Florida crime rates. To 100% say these drops in crime were caused by CCW cannot be done without a lot more study but it does say something about your argument, maybe your source needs checked. "

Sigh wrote on Feb 20, 2008 11:52 AM:

" re: “To Sigh 8:26am”: My promised reply. Firstly, students in high schools and grade schools obviously cannot carry to protect themselves as they do not meet age requirements or have the emotional maturity to handle it. The only thing that can be done in these instances is to allow teachers and administrators the right to carry if they so choose. Second, to explain the city council attack. The man surprised all present and made sure to kill the security guard present first (then taking that guards gun and using it). It took time for additional security to arrive and take care of the situation. Imagine if there had been several armed people there to cover for the fallen security guard rather than just throwing chairs at the aggressor. Finally, the National Association of Police Chiefs is a political organization; what they support does not necessarily hold with that of the common police officer. Law Enforcement Alliance of America, in contrast, is a very pro gun police organization. Not that this matters because what any person or group of people support or does not support should have no bearing on actual facts or a constitutional right. "

sigh wrote on Feb 20, 2008 11:51 AM:

" re: “To Sigh 8:26am”: Arrogant!? Is it arrogant to tell people that they are trying to base their entire argument off of logical fallacies? How can I possibly use logic and reason with someone who refuses to use them in their own arguments? Also, how can you accuse me of arguing with emotion when everything I say is based on non-biased government statistics. I have sat down and looked at the evidence and so I am pro-gun, can I not have an opinion because I have chosen a side? You used the phrase “Your mind is clearly made up” to describe me and then act like that negates my arguments which is ridiculous and is known as “Circumstantial Ad Hominem”. You have issued a response to my argument bringing up points that were never even mentioned by me as if I had already attempted and failed. I will respond to what you have said in my next post, however I would ask that you stop putting words in my mouth and trying to use false logic against me and open yourself to an actual discussion. "

to LOL Liberal (:-D) wrote on Feb 19, 2008 7:58 PM:

" you said" And then there's the gun nuts, who just can't wait to get he or I alone in a dark alley to make their point. "
That is such an insult and so untrue. The large majority of these vocal supporters. Would put their lives in danger to help protect you from the very kind of people, you are afraid of in the first place.
"

Paladin wrote on Feb 19, 2008 5:26 PM:

" ...oh, how I wish there were some accountability in behavior-altering prescriptions. Oh, how I wish that HIPAA would allow mental health care practicioners to divulge information relevant to FOID possession to appropriate oversight personnel, and/or law enforcement. Oh, how I wish people would fix THAT particular problem, before knee-jerking their way into arming everyone with a pulse who can make fog on a mirror (and can shoot those Playschool targets that armed security qualifies on)... "

To: Oh how I wish wrote on Feb 19, 2008 4:41 PM:

" I agree with you. But take it one step further... I wish that guy would have changed his mind once he realized its not so easy to go in and slaughter a bunch of people if they are shooting back. Then he went to the doctor and got some help. "

Oh how I wish wrote on Feb 19, 2008 1:44 PM:

" I wish that just one of those students had a pistol in their belt.
That bad guy would have been stopped.
Several people would be alive today had just one person been allowed by that school to use their RIGHT to bear arms......
This is our penalty for allowing democrats to cut apart the constitution........
"

to: To: Sigh wrote on Feb 19, 2008 10:20 AM: wrote on Feb 19, 2008 12:17 PM:

" You anti gun nuts are just as bad as the smoking nazi's... Please tell me how in your perfect world you are going to get all of the criminals to turn over their guns, and stop breaking the law? Really, I want to know. Bad guys will ALWAYS have them. EVEN if you make looking at a gun against the law... they will still have them. They will make them if they cant buy or steal them. So Gun Nazi, I know you as an upstanding citizen would never-ever own a gun. So that leaves you -1 gun and the criminals +1 gun. "

13 Seconds wrote on Feb 19, 2008 11:46 AM:

" The study and figure still stands. Every 13 seconds a gun PREVENTS a crime. Oh, and you're still the Spam Parrot in spite of what title you use. "

To: Sigh wrote on Feb 19, 2008 10:20 AM:

" OK genius we had 780 murders in IL in 2006 according the ststistics we had 770 in 2005, the last time we had THAT FEW MURDERS WAS IN 1966. Sure does sound like we need to have CC since the murder rate is going through the roof. Total volient crime for IL was 69,498 in 2006 Besides 2005 the last time violent crime was that low was 1973. Now lets see some of your statistics. Florida crime rates are trending UP for murder and total violent crime as is Texas two of your mst used arguments for CCW. Now lets see you spew the typical NRA statistics nutcase!!!!!!!!
"

To:Sigh wrote on Feb 19, 2008 8:22 AM:

" Don't let these crazy people bother you, they don't have a clue!! I know if I had been in that room I would have thanked my lucky stars to have my pistol with me. I would not have let him get off more than a couple of rounds and it would have ended. I am also willing to bet a couple other people in that room would be thanking someone also!! If you don't want to carry thats your right' but if I want to leave me alone!! By the way I am a legal, FOID card carrying, trained, gun owner and I support CCW and the defenders of my second ammendment rights ( NRA, ISRA ) "

LOL Liberal (:-D) wrote on Feb 18, 2008 9:51 PM:

" The Irascible Fachna always seems to sum up a debate so succinctly and precisely. Pithily done sir. And then there's the gun nuts, who just can't wait to get he or I alone in a dark alley to make their point. "

To Jon from Adam wrote on Feb 18, 2008 5:10 PM:

" Jon,

That is vivid picture of what might happen. Though I do not have strong feelings one way or the other about gun ownership, I never stopped to think that the scenario you described could be a possible result.

Even when people trained professionally (the Police or the Army), there is always the possibility of accidentally shooting a member of your crew in the heat of things.

I am reminded of how students were conditioned in the 1950's and 1960's to get under their desks in the event of a nuclear attack. I do wonder if schools will begin training students to drop to the floor if they hear loud pop sound.

I remember living in an area where I could begin to tell difference between gun shots and fireworks after 1-2 years. In some areas of the country, people know to duck and drop fast when that piercing pop sound occurs. "

To: To: To Jon wrote on Feb 18, 2008 4:08 PM:

" Please read "sigh" post. He\she could have not said it any better! One more thing that I would like you to think about. Try to remotely imagine yourself as one of the parents of these dead children. If your child was faced with a crazy gun man... Do you think that they wish that their dead child would have had gun so they might have been able to shoot back? How about yourself? What if someone runs in and starts shooting at you? Are you going to ask them nicely to stop and wait for the cops? and 1st Graders??? get real... "

To Sigh 8:26am post wrote on Feb 18, 2008 3:20 PM:

" How arrogant of you. Why would you think anyone would consider anything you had to say on the subject? Your mind is clearly made up. You simply cannot sway anyone because you argue based solely on emotion without any factual basis to support your positions. The mere fact that you think more guns will result in less gun crime is a shining example of your illogical thoughts. Since you cannot explain how you would defend grade and high schools with your idea of arming everyone (you state only those of legal age). Further, you cannot explain how a city council meeting, defended by the police, was successfully attacked. Finally you cannot explain why the conservative National Association Of Police Chiefs opposes your point of view. Just these 3 cases fully explain that you have not thought out your arguments at all. "

To Sigh wrote on Feb 18, 2008 3:12 PM:

" At least you are consistent. So you say we should not arm 1st graders or anyone under legal age (18?) then what about high schools...why would the loonies then not attack them? Your comment about 48 states having a drop in gun crime is false. More mass shootings this year than anytime in history. Look it up on the FBI web site. If over 100 students would have fired guns there would have been over 100 bullets flying around the room...more senseless destruction, not less. As to the mass shootings...how about the city council meeting where armed officers, there solely to prevent crime and on alert were killed? Your arguments do not hold water. The students were surprised. You conveniently ignore the parts of my post that you cannot overcome...a usual tactic of the far right gun lobby. More guns do not equal less gun violence, mathmatically or in reality. "

Sigh wrote on Feb 18, 2008 8:26 AM:

" re "To See and others ": Please look up the logical fallacies of “Misleading Vividness”, “Red Herring” and “Straw Man”. Once you have a valid argument together, return and try again. I say this because logic cannot work against an argument based entirely upon logical fallacies. This goes for everyone else posting here, I am tired of trying to respond to people who are not using reason. If you use a logical fallacy and I see you do it, I will call you out on it. Otherwise I would be happy to discuss the pros and cons of CCW and firearm ownership in general. "

sigh wrote on Feb 18, 2008 8:15 AM:

" re: "To: To Jon" Other students being armed in this situation would have put a stop to it because they would have shot the guy attacking innocent students; not because he was afraid of them. No one is suggesting arming 1st graders, only people old enough to legally purchase a handgun and willing to get the training necessary to get a license. While the concept may be ludicrous to you, CCW has been put into place in 48 other states and every single one experienced a drop in crime in the years following - it could be coincidence but at the least it shows that it doesn't hurt anything. Also, there have been at least 4 mass shootings in progress where civilians that were legally armed (mostly ignoring private no guns rules for the place they were at) stopped the aggressors. Recently, for example, there was a guy bent on shooting up churches. He killed a few people and stormed into a church that allowed its members with CCW’s to carry for the security of the church, he didn’t make it past the door. I wonder how many mass shootings never happened because the first person encountered was armed? "

Tom Terrific wrote on Feb 17, 2008 2:34 PM:

" Every law abiding, mentally stable adult, with proper training needs to be able to conceal carry. This would cut down on this kind of stuff. I have yet to read about this happening at a gun show or shooting range. "

Don wrote on Feb 16, 2008 10:25 PM:

" You never seen this back when spanking and teaching kids right from wrong was exceptable at a early age.Now we have'' Time Out''kids do not know right from wrong do not know what No means.Are spoiled rotten throw temper tantrums to get what they want.Then when they grow up can not cope with real life.So as long as we continue to say no to spanking because it shows vilolence and is politically incorect.Then we better get use to these Time Out kids when they become adults.Never seen this in my generation we were brought up right and not messed up.They always claim mentally ill.I say BS its there upbringing. "

Victim Zone wrote on Feb 16, 2008 12:35 PM:

" One more example of a "gun free zone". Why not call them what they really are, "victim zones". A sick, lone individual, off of his medication and not even a student at NIU manages to get 54 shots off and no-one has the ability to defend themself. What is wrong with this picture? Where is the outrage that should be directed against our lawmakers who created this situation? Why are our sons and daughters deliberately placed in harms way by politicians who refuse to see the conequence of their unworkable gun laws in Illinois? "

To: To Jon wrote on Feb 16, 2008 10:24 AM:

" Jon, he was mentally unbalanced. No amount of guns facing him would have been enough. Can't you understand even the basic facts here? He was insane. He could not think rationally. Why do all you gun supporters think the solution is more guns? How absurd would it be if every student from 1st grade on up, in addition to every person in the country, was armed? This concept is so ludicrous that we can only surmise that you are just kidding. Do you really want to live in a country like that? How about thinking outside the little box that you are in. "

To See and others wrote on Feb 16, 2008 10:18 AM:

" There aren't any gun control laws. Anybody can get a gun, legally or illegally and commit this kind of violence. To the person who wrote we should arm everyone...LOL. Let's send our 1st graders and all other people in the country out everyday wearing bullet proof vests and carrying assault rifles. Nice way to live. It also would be completely ineffective...there would still be the gun violence we have today along with the collateral damage inflicted by everyone firing at the same time. We pass laws about "road rage". Let's arm up everyone and then we can just shoot our way through it. Someday we will figure out that guns for everyone simply does not work. It never has and it never will. Until then we can worry about our kids dying at school. Great country we live in. "

magic wrote on Feb 16, 2008 8:42 AM:

" being in a hospital had nothing to do with it,it how you all treat other people,most of you only care about yourself,and this is what happenes when you treat people like this,it will end up on someone who didnt do it, "

NIU Student wrote on Feb 16, 2008 8:04 AM:

" We had someone write graffiti on a bathroom wall on December 10 with racial slurs. Last night watching the news, I saw African-American parents thinking that the school did not do enough for the African-American kids. Then last night at a rally, Jessie Jackson was here "preaching" (Im sure you know why he was here) I just wanted to point out that there were no African-American kids killed, cause im sure if there were then suddenly, NIU is the most racist university in the country. "

to The Irascible Fachna wrote on Feb 16, 2008 7:57 AM:

" well then it is allso true to say: It cannot be repeated too often ..... every law-abiding citizen is- until [s]he isn't. "

"

MacArthur F. Corsino wrote on Feb 16, 2008 3:13 AM:

" My wife and I raised two baby girls at DeKalb, Illinois where, at NIU, I finished a Ph.D. in Political Science as a Fulbright scholar from the Philippines. We were shocked to hear this act of insanity as we had known DeKalb to be a very pleasant place to live in, and spent some of the most memorable years of our lives at good old NIU. This incident, no matter how heinous, is obviously an aberration. We have since roamed the world over, and are now at the Philippine Embassy in the Sultanate of Oman. But we will always cherish our memories of NIU as a center of learning in the mid-American heartland. Our prayers go with the families of the victims and with the faculty and students of NIU. "

The Irascible Fachna wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:07 PM:

" It cannot be repeated too often ..... every gun owner is a law-abiding citizen - until [s]he isn't. "

Naturally wrote on Feb 15, 2008 9:44 PM:

" the " gun " debate has surfaced in the presidential contest. No Democrat should touch this issue. It may appear to be cynical and calculating but the Dems have been defeated many times on the issue of guns. Let " blood run in the streets " . No matter what , don't touch it. It will have to get considerably worse, we are not there yet. Does this appear callous and jaded. Yes indeed but we know " violence is as American as apple pie " ! "

Something to consider.... wrote on Feb 15, 2008 6:14 PM:

" Many of the mental health institutions/hospitals/clinics in Illinois have been closed, due to poor govt. funding and limited available resources. There are a lot of sick people on psych meds that are not regulated and there is little to no help available in the community for some of these people. It obviously takes a really disturbed individual to committ an act such as this.

In addition, I think we need to look at all avenues, to avoid this from happening more frequently on college campuses. ISU for one needs a plan in place to deal with an event such as this. Obviously there is no formal plan b/c there is no training with ISU and the Bloomington and Normal police depts to prepare for an event like this. If something like this would happen on ISU's campus, it would be even more of a chaotic, unorganized mess b/c no plan has been executed. "

Just a Citizen wrote on Feb 15, 2008 5:40 PM:

" The following was copied by me from the Dekalb newspaper comment section. I think it speaks volumes on many levels. "Hard things are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength. Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let us not beg for the stilling of our pain, but for the heart to conquer it." Trained armed citizens are the ONLY plausible defense, NOT the solution to incidents such as this. There is no way to prevent these things, only limit the scope of them.
"

See! wrote on Feb 15, 2008 5:18 PM:

" gun control laws DON'T STOP ANYTHING! "

reader wrote on Feb 15, 2008 5:14 PM:

" Great another psycho off his meds with guns! Why do we have so many of these kind of people today? Fifty years ago we probably had people with mental issues, but they didn't go around shooting everyone. People just don't have any value for human's life anymore. The last thing we want is everyone carrying weapons that don't know how to use them. I guess in background checks, they need to include mental illness and any kind of drugs taken to combat it. Oh, wait a minute, we can't do that either because we have...... privacy laws. Wouldn't it make sense that only one gun with a certain amount of bullets could be purchased in a year's time. Why do we allow high-powered hand guns and weapons out there anyway? Why did this nut case have the ability to purchase three guns in six-months time? "

Find the root cause wrote on Feb 15, 2008 5:12 PM:

" Banning guns or carry and conceal is not the answer. We need to find the root of the problem and the problem is neurological disorders in our nation’s youth. 1- 150 kids are diagnosed with autism, 1-6 kids is diagnosed with a neurological disorder such as bipolar, ADD, ADHD, behavior disorder, etc. Our nation has reached the toxic tipping point and its frying kids brains. Whether its pesticides, mercury belched into the air from coal burning plants, over aggressive vaccine schedule, dental amalgams…whatever… the cause needs to be found and stopped. 30 years ago the grade school’s nurse main job was to apply band-aids to skinned knees. Now they are basically pharmacists dispensing anti-depressants anti-psychotics and stimulants to correct behaviors and learning disabilities. "

i don't want wrote on Feb 15, 2008 5:07 PM:

" to see this lunatic's face on the media screen or anywhere else. And this bull about how he was a stellar student! This idiot killed six innocent people and then committed suicide! don't put him on a glory trip like he was so grand! he was a killer and should not be glorified! "

to: Jon wrote on Feb 15, 2008 4:53 PM:

" Your scenario is very graphic, and you do a great job at pulling at the heart strings and pushing your anti gun view. I will give you your possible scenario. However, I will also like you to re-read the article and see the FACT and TRUTH of what happen yesterday. I want you to understand that this was no scenario that was made up. That these people are dead (unlike your very unlikely situation) and its not made up. Furthermore, if people were allowed to arm them self at all times... Your little scenario would something like this... "A day before Stephen was to take his guitar case full of guns to school. The school implemented a policy to allow all students to utilize their second amendment right while on campus. Stephen then realizes that he can no longer just rush in and kill as many people as he wants to. He realizes that he might just get shot before he gets to kill himself. Then he realizes that something is not ok with the way that he is thinking and seeks help." "

Resigned wrote on Feb 15, 2008 4:14 PM:

" Yet another poster boy for the NRA. This madness will never end. "

Hey DAVE wrote on Feb 15, 2008 4:05 PM:

" Suck it up, be a man, and deal with it. If you can't however, do the right thing and take yourself out. Don't take a bunch of other people with you just because you can't handle life!! "

Another... wrote on Feb 15, 2008 4:04 PM:

" Savage beast...Oh he was white, he must have just been troubled then... "

T wrote on Feb 15, 2008 3:56 PM:

" Jimmy its not a liberal/conservative issue so get off it "

JD wrote on Feb 15, 2008 3:12 PM:

" The problem is parents not preparing their children for the realities of life. Children are taught they are special. That all the matter is they try hard. That if they try hard enough, the world in their oyster. They are not prepared for the reality that life is hard, and often sucks. They are not prepared to be not so special. They are not prepared for the inevitable failure when they tried their best. They just 'snap'. The problem is not guns. It is parents who are failing their children so critically, that these children turned adults can not deal with reality and take people out with them. "

Jimmy wrote on Feb 15, 2008 2:59 PM:

" Not sure who is advocating more killing. Seems people are advocating for the right to defend oneself against killers, thus lowering their eventual body count. I think being faced with a gun is the best way to stop killers. Perhaps I am wrong, liberals are right and the best way to deal with these nutcases is to sternly tell them they are in a gun free zone and they must leave immediately. My point is you are free to try it your way and as long as I am a responsible firearm owner let me have the means to defend myself with something other than useless Gun Free Zones and happy thoughts. "

Concerned parent wrote on Feb 15, 2008 2:56 PM:

" Seems that Eureka School district needs to tell all of us about the 12 year old that brought a gernade to school a couple weeks ago.
"

Doug wrote on Feb 15, 2008 2:48 PM:

" True Jimmy,but at least its a little tougher to get done "

T wrote on Feb 15, 2008 2:41 PM:

" Some of you are pretty sick considering 6 young people died and your all advocating more killing "

Paladin wrote on Feb 15, 2008 2:21 PM:

" ...yeah, a plain clothes police officer. The one student who doesn't ever talk to anyone else, who is "of non-traditional age", who is always running out of the room when the beeper goes off, always wears a jacket (even in summer) or fanny pack, never lets his backpack more than six inches away from his strong hand. Yeah, he'll fit right in. Or she. Good point. Maybe they'll even have one of those ear pieces in, to listen to the radio traffic. If they DO talk to the students, how long until everyone figures out they are the cop? Wonder how the grades will be, when they either can't pay attention to the lecture (because they are monitoring the class) or, if they get straight A's, how much monitoring are they doing? Next? "

Gun free Zone wrote on Feb 15, 2008 2:20 PM:

" Criminals call Gun free zones "Targe Ranges". "

Jimmy wrote on Feb 15, 2008 2:17 PM:

" Drugs are illegal. They are easily obtainable on the street if one were so inclined. Why do liberals think guns would be any different. Anyone why? "

TO: lock & load- wrote on Feb 15, 2008 2:01 PM:

" You're anti-gun views and childish ways are showing. Keep making fun and calling people chicken because they conceal a weapon that might someday save your life. In the real world every society has killing. YES even the ones who have taken guns away from their citizens. Your beacon of light is very dim.

LIBERALS - ALWAYS SHEDDING LIGHT ON NOTHING AT ALL "

SAY wrote on Feb 15, 2008 1:51 PM:

" Some people are ate up! If we had tougher gun laws they would still be able to get them. Wake up. That is not the problem. We live in a crazy worl folks. We have thrown God out of everything! Guns are not the problem people are! This will continue to go on folks. The end times are getting near people lets face the facts! We live in a crazy society where violence is accepted in all aspects! We need to pray for this country! "

To:Paladin- wrote on Feb 15, 2008 1:48 PM:

" Who said the officer had to be uniformed ???? Plain clothed officers are all over whether you know it or not. Your slanted views have flaws. Prior military and law abiding citizens such as prior law enforcement trained need to conceal carry in Illinois. The only way to fight incidents like this are with armed resistance. Society can find blame like " he was off his medicine" however, that will not change things.
"

Mr. Obvious - wrote on Feb 15, 2008 1:32 PM:

" Seems kind of funny how news outlets seem to " stack " the stories when it comes to guns. You will always hear about guns and scumbags killing people however, the news outlets in America will never write about when someone saves a life with a gun. Yes this is terrible and people can blame guns for it but, it will never change the fact that people do terrible things. If people really want to kill people they will find other ways to do it if they do not have a gun. You can NEVER protect yourselves with words and fancy little blue lights that sit on poles like you see on campus. People have to take pro-active steps to ensure their own safety. You cannot depend on others to help you stay safe. Learn how to protect yourself and react appropriately, it will save your life and possibly others around you. "

Chi-student wrote on Feb 15, 2008 1:28 PM:

" This scares me not only because it happened so close this time, but also because I attend school on an open campus in downtown Chicago. Anybody from the streets can walk in and go pretty much anywhere. We aren't required to wear our ID's because the school only rents the building and the only security is in the middle of the building an doesn't have any view of the elevators that lead to class rooms or our student center. I hope this incident changes our situation here at my school. "

Common Sense wrote on Feb 15, 2008 1:17 PM:

" Doesn't appear this shooter was an underworld criminal, and in fact, many of the recent campus shooters were not prior criminals. The fact that he could walk into a store and buy multiple guns made it easy for him to undertake this crime. How many of us could obtain a gun off the street if they weren't legal? "

Paladin wrote on Feb 15, 2008 1:16 PM:

" ...you've got a point, Dave. Although certainly every person who is coming off medication (either because they choose to do so, or because their physician recommends it) DOES NOT become violent, the majority of persons I have had to deal with perpetrating "erratic" behavior have been people who had "gone off their meds". Many had self-diagnosed, and decided they were cured. Others didn't like the side effects of the meds. Others just allowed their prescriptions to run out, and didn't refill. No oversight of their cases, at all. You would see people who you knew from your beat, who seemed quite normal, acting very crazy. Mental illness requires a lot more involvement than, "here are some pills, come back soon"... "

TO: ALL Whiners wrote on Feb 15, 2008 1:15 PM:

" This is a blog- people have opinions so for those of you who seem to think you are the bog-police have no right to tell people to shut up. GET OVER IT

To those who seem to think that the NRA or gun rights people are to blam you are sadly mistaken. If someone wants to kill people they will find another way to do it without firearms. Again if someone was there like an off duty officer or a law abiding citizen who was armed and could have acted - there would not have been as many victims.

Liberals - seeing things their way only and whining about other peoples views "

Not again wrote on Feb 15, 2008 1:12 PM:

" These break my heart every time I see them. I think i'm going to quit reading the news.

Taking away guns will never fix the situaion. Criminals will still obtain the guns but law abiding citizens who use them for protection won't have any. So give it up and face facts. "

Prepared Citizen wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:57 PM:

" Jon, you watch too much TV. Go back to watching it and stay off the forums. We all knew there would be at least one of these comments about your dream world. I would like to take a poll of people who would want guns back if the government started exterminating people in America. Think I am too extremest? It does seem far fetched but then again the Jews, Burmese, Vietnemese, North Koreans etc they probably thought the same thing. "

OGS It Would Take (like) Forever wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:48 PM:

" It would take (like) forever to confiscate all of the guns if it could be done. And during that time (and after) of confiscation the idiot maniacs, will still find a gun or other way to attack or kill if that is their objective. Most importantly however, the 2nd Amendment guarantees us the right to bear arms. It is a right that "shall not be infringed." * Say a prayer or offer a moment of silence to the victims and campus of NIU and their families. "

Waffle of Justice wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:43 PM:

" To: Dave wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:10 PM: Tom Cruise loves you and wants to be your wife. The prescriptions or lack there of didn't pull the trigger the person did. There was a wise man that once said so and so is an a-hole when he drinks, guess what he is probably the same way without drinking. "

dwarf wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:36 PM:

" A big problem with arming everyone is that something like 75-90% of all homicides are crimes of passion - anger, jealousy, and so on. By definition a crime of passion isn't thought-out beforehand - and its consequences aren't seriously considered. Arming everyone won't stop crimes of passion from occuring; they'll just make them more deadly. (Disarming everyone isn't a very good solution either, mind you - but arming everyone is even worse.) "

Barry McGuire wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:35 PM:

" Don't you understand what I'm trying to say?
Can't you see the fears that I'm feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there's no running away.
There'll be no one to save with the world in a grave.
Take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you boy,
And you tell me over and over and over again, my friend,
how you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction... "

Jimmy wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:23 PM:

" 40 states have it relatively easy to obtain a concealed carry permit. The vigilante fantasy Jon refers to is pure fantasy as not one state has repealed a concealed carry law. In fact most over time make it easier for one to obtain a permit. It works.

How is the "Gun Free Zone" fantasy working folks? "

lock and load wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:19 PM:

" I want to see every student and teacher in America packing heat. From pre-k to the doctoral program. What a wonderful sight it will be to have all with a pistol strapped to their leg. Forget " conceal and carry ", that's a chicken way of toting. Get'em out in the open ,that way we can be a beacon to the world with our example of a " civilized " society. Yee hah ! "

Dave wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:10 PM:

" I haven't read all the posts so if this is a repeat, pardon me.
But, violent act after violent act takes place after someone quits using their behavior modification medicines. Stuff like Paxil, prozac and other SSRI medications.
I hope everyone will take to heart the warning of those of us who have gone through the painful, hellish withdrawal from these medicines.
Andrea Yates drowned her kids after quitting them cold turkey. Do a web search and you can find hundreds of real life cases of people who have committed awful deeds after quitting those medicines cold turkey.
If you're on one of the SSRIs and want to talk to someone about the potential consequences connected with their uses go to Paxilprogress.org.
"

Great wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:09 PM:

" here comes another round of gun laws that will make it harder for the honest, reliable gun owners to get guns/ammo b/c some crazy moron decides instead of just killing himself, that "hey, i want attention, mommy didnt hold me enough" or "things arent going my way b/c I'm a spoiled kid who grew up with no dicsipline and I cant be man enough to get help on my own" My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims families/students who were there firsthand to see this idiot scar them for life. "

mary wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:07 PM:

" You have to have alot of sympathy for the victims families and also for the shooters family. Being away from home the parents weren't around to see the state he was in. I'm sure they did not expect to hear their son was dead and that he had caused all of this. So, my condolences to all. "

Paladin wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:02 PM:

" ...a chicken in every pot, a cop in every class. You bet. So, what difference does it make if there is a cop around, when everyone knows who the cop is? Three guesses who gets shot first, and the first two don't count. Having a gun does not make you bullet resistant. Then, there's another gun lying there, ready to be used. How many hats do you want your cops to wear? Armed Responder, EMT, and now Student (who can't pay attention in class, because he or she is now having to watch all the other students)...? This "answer" is no answer, at all... "

Jon wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:56 AM:

" I wonder sometimes if the vigilante fantasy of having all citizens be armed all the time is really feasible. Imagine what happens if shots are fired in a college lecture hall. You've dozed-off during class, staring at your notes, kind of half paying attention. Shots ring out. Suddenly all these guns are drawn. You see one student cap another one...was he the original shooter, or a responder to the first shooter? People start screaming. No one knows what is going on. Some kid panics and begins firing at another kid who has his weapon drawn. You grab your gun out of your backpack - what do you do? Do you start shooting? Someone sees you pulling your weapon and draws down on you. When the smoke clears, the initial instigator is dead, but so are about 25 additional people who shot each other in the melee. Shell casings and bodies are everywhere. "

To: do you think wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:52 AM:

" I couldn't agree more!!! What is more important is that people are right now , at this moment, without family members! And very young victims too. So knock it off! "

Jimmy wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:45 AM:

" Gun free zones. Except for the killer that is. How many must die because of idiotic liberal feel good legislation? "

Do You Think This Is The Time Or Place wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:44 AM:

" for a pro/anti gun debate? Let's cool it for awhile. "

Thoughts and Prayers! wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:43 AM:

" My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims families/friends at this horrible shooting! "

No more Cars! wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:28 AM:

" You can see where all these mechanical things are taking us. They are controlling us to the point that they are making us kill. We need to get rid of them all including cars (for no reason they will run into each other or off the road and kill the people riding inside), planes (they might fly themselves into buildings), trains ( they don't stop when anything gets in the way) and how about anything that runs on electricity since they will get a mind of their own a electrocute people just for using them while standing in water. Really - come up with something better then always trying to blame the gun and not the person using it. Drugs are illegal and are still very easy to get. What makes anyone think that by outlawing guns, people like this won't be able to get them. And, if they can't get them, they will just use something else that can inflict pain and death on the innocent! "

MRS. wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:27 AM:

" 73+ comments and only a few suggestions (that make sense) Personally, the poster IDEA has the most intelligent idea. IMO, giving free or near free tuition and books to off duty (?) police makes a lot of sense. Housing projects give police free rent, businesses give free coffee. I would hope colleges would think about this but the greedy usually frown on hearing the word free. "

No Guns? MORE GUNS! wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:17 AM:

" I know there are several posts here suggesting that we ban guns. Guess what? People will get them anyway. Do you really think gang members, terrorists or school shooters follow the law, get a foid, wait 72 hours then go out and kill people? Honestly? Or..do you think someone who would kill random people would worry about the letter of the law up to this point? Fact is, we need more guns. We need citizens to have the right to conceal firearms on their persons. I will tell you this much...If I am at the mall...or school...or Bennigans...and someone starts shooting... You'll be glad I'm there, because the I'll at least try to take out the shooter and save your ass. Banning guns is like giving up. They'll kill you anyway. Stand up and take back what's OURS. "

To Pantagraph wrote on Feb 15, 2008 11:04 AM:

" May I make one suggestion? Change your headline from: "Former student ID'd in suicidal campus attack that killed 6", to "Former studend ID'd in HOMICIDAL campus attack that killed 6". This puke went from suicidal to homicidal the moment he decided to kill someone other than himself. He's a murderer, nothing more, nothing less.
"

To: Akira wrote on Feb 15, 2008 10:36 AM:

" I hope you've been practicing your goose-step. I don't want to see any slight bend in your legs as you walk. Somewhere Hitler is smiling up at you!!! "

wondering wrote on Feb 15, 2008 10:28 AM:

" Is it true that the NIU campus a "no gun area"? Take a way guns and one has no protection, only the criminal "

Paladin wrote on Feb 15, 2008 10:08 AM:

" ...sorry, Akira, that genie is out of the bottle. It isn't going back in. Constitutional rights aside, firearms represent a legitimate industry, supported by those who represent legitimate force. The proponents of legitimate force will not ever give up firearms, so neither will anyone else. Money, money, money. About all you can do is try to minimize the damage that firearms are capable of doing. That's it. All your, "gosh, that's how they do it in Japan / Australia / England" business just doesn't apply, in comparison to the industry potential right here in the old U S of A. Try banning any other aspect of technology, and see who joins hands with you. Do away with electricity. Lots of luck... "

Tbe Peanut Gallery wrote on Feb 15, 2008 9:58 AM:

" I am a former NIU student; resident of DeKalb; and ISU instructor. This tragedy therefore hits me on a number of emotional levels. I suggest that we defer the usual impulse to 'psycho-analyze' the shooter and focus on the hard job of assisting those who are in pain to begin the healing process. Their need to mend is far more important that our need to mentally 'dissect' the situation. The shooter did what he did for irrational reasons [which are, by their very nature, impossible to logically deconstruct]. The families and friends of those killed and injured need our help for the most obvious and rational reasons.

Just my opinion.

TPG "

Oh my wrote on Feb 15, 2008 9:53 AM:

" Akira Kenada-get out of your dream world. DC banned hand guns and their murder rate is up 200%. Texas has a larger murder rate due to the amount of illegal immigration that occurs. They don't respect our laws. Also, there was an influx in undesirable residents from Katrina that have stocked places like Houston with gang members, etc. I like the effort though, but you need to have all the facts. With your mentality, we should ban everything that could cause harm. If a large number of people slip in the shower and die, would you ban showers? "

NIU Alum wrote on Feb 15, 2008 9:49 AM:

" I can't believe this happened at NIU. My thoughts and prayers are with the students, faculty and staff of NIU. I am an alum who lived in Dekalb for quite sometime. I can't believe something like this could happen there. "

Akira Keneda wrote on Feb 15, 2008 9:47 AM:

" It's time for the U.S. to seriously consider banning gun ownership. The frontier is long gone, NRA types need to wake up from their little shoot-em-up cowboy fantasies. A concise simple amendment to the constitution would keep tragedies like this from springing up every 6 months. I know this is unlikely since so many Americans have tied their pathetic sense of manhood attached to the firearms they own. I'm also sick of the concealed carry crowd citing BS statistics to bolster their farsical position. Texas has had concealed carry laws for years and their crime and murder rates are near the worst in the nation...every...single...year. It's time to seriously consider banning guns from public ownership, incidents like this simply do not occur in countries with sensible firearm laws like Japan. I fully support the federal governement rounding up weapons "from [your] cold dead hands" if necessary. "

:( wrote on Feb 15, 2008 9:24 AM:

" I heard the deaths reached 7. Thoughts and prayers to the families. "

teh wrote on Feb 15, 2008 9:18 AM:

" My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone at NIU and their families. In reality, there is no way to prevent this type of thing happening in most public places, including universities. While we cannot live in fear, we must live with awareness that we truly are not safe in any public place. This is sad. "

Sigh wrote on Feb 15, 2008 9:08 AM:

" To: "Wow!" and all others bringing up the gun issue - There is another comment section going on gun rights in the most commented section. Please post there and we can talk, this is not the appropriate place to start a political discussion. "

Paladin wrote on Feb 15, 2008 9:02 AM:

" ...nowadays, the trend is to teach cops to be EMT trained, rather than focusing on the tactical aspect. You COULD train the students as EMTs, instead, and let the cops do what they should be doing (securing the scene, neutralizing the threat). If the IDF can train all their citizenry as soldiers, we might be able to train SOME self defense and situational awareness. Train all the students, faculty, and staff to SAVE lives, so the cops can concentrate on the shooting. Take what the bad guy wants (the body count) away from him, and train a lifelong useful skill, at the same time (isn't that what University life is supposed to do, anyway?). One maintenance closet has an AED, hemostatic trauma bandages, etc. Then, start working the self defense aspect. One step at a time. "

Newbie wrote on Feb 15, 2008 8:57 AM:

" Metal Detectors at all doors? That's all good and well but you also need a PERSON there to stop those who trip the detector and ensure the person is, in fact, not armed. Placing a person at every door of every building at ISU is just not feasible. It will never happen. Never. Students will complain that it takes too much time to get into buildings, others will complain of the rising costs of tuition to offset the metal detectors AND manpower associated with these. Then people will ask the government to pick up the cost to ensure the safety of every school and there go additional taxes. It is not the answer folks. Quit jumping to knee-jerk solutions. "

re:ONLY IN AMERICA/Beretta wrote on Feb 15, 2008 8:43 AM:

" Just shut your mouths....seriously....do you have ANY dignity or tact at all? Use some other forum to push your opinions and political ideals... "

Take a Step Back wrote on Feb 15, 2008 8:36 AM:

" Aside from a lot of ignorant posts on this board we need to be focusing our energy on the friends and families of the victims. That is the bottom line right now. "

Take a Step Back wrote on Feb 15, 2008 8:35 AM:

" Aside from a lot of ignorant posts on this board we need to be focusing our energy on the friends and families of the victims. That is the bottom line right now. "

Crimson wrote on Feb 15, 2008 8:32 AM:

" Thoughts and prayers to NIU students and staff. "

question wrote on Feb 15, 2008 8:26 AM:

" Here's a question about security. Everyone talks about metal detectors but it won't work. Think of the problems like laptops and bag checks. It would take forever to get through not to mention the cost of it. I know it sounds simple and nieve but what about simple locks? Every classroom is locked from the outside. If you are in, you can get out no different than any door unlocked but from the outside you would need a key to get in. All classroom doors are closed at the beginning of class. When class is not is session the doors are shut and only the cleaning crew and professors have keys. Seems to me it would have at least prevented this disaster. The expense would be small I would think too. "

AM wrote on Feb 15, 2008 8:21 AM:

" Another gun free zone. Good thing he didn't have a gun there................. Oh, Ummm, he had a gun? Hmmmm, Maybe it's time to rethink self protection. "

Updated wrote on Feb 15, 2008 8:21 AM:

" 6 dead...not 5. "

to Here it comes wrote on Feb 15, 2008 8:15 AM:

" The cost we pay to live in a free society means that we become random targets? How is that considered a payment for living in a free society. No one should randomly target anyone. How do you decide that it's okay that a few students are killed each year by some whack job who's disgruntled at life? A person who drinks and drives knows that it is not right to do so, but they're not out to kill others just because they're unhappy, they're just stupid! The person that goes out and randomly shoots people doesn't care one bit about that person or what they may be like or what they may give to this country. They don't want to live and therefore they decide they don't want to do it alone so they'll take a few others with them. That's not living in a free society, that's terrorism by an individual. "

TG wrote on Feb 15, 2008 8:12 AM:

" I hope ISU will take the precautions now after hearing about NIU. The safety of every student at ISU is your responsiblity. Normal please hire more police for your town. God bless all the families at NIU. "

ONLY IN AMERICA- wrote on Feb 15, 2008 7:51 AM:

" Too bad Illinois doesn't have concealed carry. ONE student who was armed could have saved many lives by confronting the threat. Illinois is one of only a few states who does not have concealed carry so law abiding citizens can protect themselves from people like this. Our liberal democratic controlled state will never understand. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those who were killed. "

Wow! wrote on Feb 15, 2008 7:37 AM:

" Guns saved 5 more lives! Thank you NRA. "

Anywhere anytime wrote on Feb 15, 2008 7:35 AM:

" This could happen anywhere, at anytime, to anyone. No one is safe anymore. It's a sick world we live in. "

Beretta wrote on Feb 15, 2008 7:34 AM:

" This is why everyone should be permitted to carry guns. If this class was full of weapons I don't beleive this would happen. Someone would have taken the shooter out before he fired his second shot. "

MJL wrote on Feb 15, 2008 7:34 AM:

" My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the entire community of DeKalb. "

To angered wrote on Feb 15, 2008 7:17 AM:

" You can buy flood insurance to take care of what happened in Pontiac. You can't buy "crazy person with a gun" insurance.

Also, what good would metal detectors do? The system would go off every 2 mins, because *shocking* people carry metal items, but that doesn't mean they are weapons. We would then be reading about upset students because every building takes 10 mins to get into because of the line due to the metal detectors going off for everyone. "

re:$$$ wrote on Feb 15, 2008 7:05 AM:

" good one!! i totally couldn't agree more!! "

I feel safe wrote on Feb 15, 2008 6:49 AM:

" Metal detectors at ALL doors? Have you seen how many doors there are at ISU? I don't pretend to know it can't happen here, but living in paranoia doesn't make sense to me. "

Stock wrote on Feb 15, 2008 6:32 AM:

" The real problem is todays "kids" have been taught through childhood, that things are fair. No out's in baseball, everyone gets to hit, nobody ever looses anymore. And then, in steps the schools with counselors for everything, doing the parents jobs. Now here we are, adult shooting up everything because, guess what, they lost something, girlfriend, job etc. Don't get me started on anti-bulling policies, I wonder if the shooter signed one of those so someone doesn't get sued. "

Had enough America ? wrote on Feb 15, 2008 6:31 AM:

" No not yet . Then keep the guns poppin ! "

to angered wrote on Feb 15, 2008 6:26 AM:

" Pontiac's flood wasn't that bad! I've seen worse n Pontiac didn't deserve that money. Watseka deserved it more than they do! Yes, it's devistating, but not bad enough for it to be declared for FEMA. "

Give me a break wrote on Feb 15, 2008 5:56 AM:

" To WOW. I can not understand you. People are pouring their hearts out and trying to understand this and communicate with one another, and here you are talking about their misspelling and grammar issues? GIVE ME A BREAK AND GROW UP! That is not what is at issue here. Im so glad that you find it in your heart to go beyond simple things and are trying to help someone else. ITs people like you with the attitude that sometimes makes the world as cold as it is.

My heart and prayers go out to the familys and friends. I will truly be thinking of them. I just dont understand why people do things like this. But, in the end they will get what they deserve. "

To: 'Here it comes'...... wrote on Feb 15, 2008 4:52 AM:

" you've got the right idea, but the fact is a lot of money is made on the purchase of alcohol and the state gets a lot of that money. I, too, wish alcohol education was better, but the state likes the revenue it gets from it so it won't ever happen. Revenue for the state is all the state cares about; very few of the big wigs care about human life or the quality of human life anymore. "

angered wrote on Feb 15, 2008 1:47 AM:

" I pray for the victims. But I am confused. Gov. Rob declares a state of emergency and gives disaster aid to NIU. Thats all well and good. But what about Pontiac? 5 people died, dozens probably injured, hundreds of homes damaged; some beyond repair, and Mr. Rob does absolutely nothing. Some one might say the flooding wasnt that bad. Wrong..... I have seen the pictures and have seen the damage first hand, it was bad.

People also are saying that there is no REAL way to secure college campuses....... WRONG. Put metal detectors on every single door leading into any and all buildings on campus. Expensive you might say.......... possibly. But would you rather be say $10 million in the hole or say have 32 dead students/staff or even 5 student/staff? "

$$$ wrote on Feb 15, 2008 12:27 AM:

" I think college's should triple the rates so they can hire police to be with every student the 4 or more years they are in college. 4.0 students would get there guard for FREE. "

ISU wrote on Feb 14, 2008 11:41 PM: