Outside Cole Hall on the Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb. on Thursday. Several people were confirmed wounded Thursday afternoon in a shooting in a lecture hall on the NIU campus, authorities said. A statement posted at 3:50 p.m. on the university's Web site said "several people" were taken away by ambulance. (Northern Star photo by Jim Killam / February 14, 2008)
A team of medical personnel move a shooting victim to a waiting helicopter for a medical evacuation from Kishwaukee Community Hospital in DeKalb on Thursday. (Tribune photo by Stacey Wescott / February 10, 2008) 
5 shot dead, including gunman, at Northern Illinois University
DEKALB, Illinois (CNN) -- A gunman dressed in black walked from behind a curtain at the front of a large lecture hall Thursday at Northern Illinois University and shot 22 people, four fatally, then killed himself, authorities said.
Seventeen victims were taken to Kishwaukee Community Hospital, its Web site said.
Of those, six were in critical condition and were flown to other hospitals. One fatality, a male, was confirmed -- but was not the gunman, the hospital said. Two were admitted, and three others were discharged. The other five were not addressed on the Web site.
Most of the injuries are head and chest gunshot wounds, a spokeswoman tells CNN.
The shooting occurred shortly after 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) in Cole Hall. The class runs from 2 p.m. until 3:15 p.m., university President John Peters said.
The shooting occurred shortly after 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) in Cole Hall. The class runs from 2 p.m. until 3:15 p.m., university President John Peters said.
"It started and it stopped very quickly," said Police Chief Donald Grady. The gunman, whose identity has not been revealed publicly, was not a student at the NIU campus in DeKalb, west of Chicago, but "may have been a student somewhere else."
Police do not have an apparent motive now, Grady said.
Kevin McEnery said he was in the classroom when a man dressed in a black shirt, dark pants and black hat burst in carrying a shotgun.
"He just kicked the door open, just started shooting," said McEnery, who was in the class at the time. "All I really heard was just people screaming, yelling 'get out.' ... Close to 30 shots were fired."
There are about 162 registered students in the class that met in the large lecture hall.
"Witnesses say someone dressed in black came out from behind a screen in the front of the classroom and opened fire with a shotgun," Peters said.
"Witnesses say someone dressed in black came out from behind a screen in the front of the classroom and opened fire with a shotgun," Peters said.
The gunman fired from a stage at the front of the classroom, Grady said.
READ ABOUT THIS STUDENT MASSACRE...
It seems that the cork came out of the genie's bottle. People just can't cope with life anymore!
ReplyDeletetmw
Great observation, Merry Widow. It does seem that people can't cope, and this is how they solve their problems.
ReplyDelete