http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/US/02/14/university.shooting/art.shooting.wls.jpg

 

18 shot, 5 dead including gunman, at Northern Illinois University

 

(CNN) -- A gunman shot 18 people, killing four, at Northern Illinois University's DeKalb campus outside Chicago Thursday, then fatally shot himself, police said.

 

The shooter, dressed in black, walked out from behind a screen in a geology class in a 600-seat lecture hall and opened fire around 3 p.m. CT, NIU president John Peters said.

 

The gunman used a shotgun and two handguns, Police Chief Donald Grady said.

 

The police know the identity of the gunman but are not releasing it at this time. He was not a student at the DeKalb campus, but it appears he was a student elsewhere, Grady said.

 

Many victims were shot in the head, said Theresa Comitas, spokeswoman for Kishwaukee Community Hospital, about 10 minutes from the school.

 

At least three victims are in critical condition, eight are in stable condition and six are in good condition, a hospital official told CNN.

 

One of the wounded was transferred by helicopter to Rockford Hospital, she said. There were no fatalities at the hospital, she said.

 

According to the Chicago Tribune, the DeKalb County coroner's office said no fatalities had been immediately reported.

 

At 4 p.m. (5 p.m. ET), the school said there was no further danger and that counselors would be made available.

 

A law enforcement official being briefed on the situation told CNN that the shooter used at least one shotgun. The official declined to be identified further because the incident was still developing.

 

Kevin Mcenery said he witnessed the shooting.

 

The gunman "just kicked the door open, just started shooting. All I really heard was just people screaming, yelling get out," he said. Watch a witness describe the chaos at the scene »

 

"Close to 30 shots were fired."

 

"He was wearing a black shirt, dark pants, black hat. ... He started with a shotgun, then turned to a pistol."

 

Rosie Moroni, a student at the school, told CNN she was outside Cole Hall near the King Commons at 2:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. ET) when she heard shots coming from the classroom she had intended to enter.

 

The shot was followed by "a lot of people screaming," then people ran out the doors yelling, "He's got a gun, call 9-1-1," she said.

 

"It was complete chaos ... it's very scary here right now."

 

"It has been confirmed that there has been a shooting on campus and several people have been taken away by ambulance," the school said in a posting on its DeKalb campus Web site. "All classes are canceled on the DeKalb campus. People are urged not to come to campus."

 

Friday classes also are canceled at the school's DeKalb campus.

 

"All NIU students are asked to call their parents as soon as possible," the school said in a posting.

 

The 113-year-old school is 65 miles west of downtown Chicago and has an enrollment of more than 25,000. The campus covers 755 acres.

 

A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told CNN that some of its agents were already on the scene to assist. He said ATF agents could help trace the weapons used.

 

An FBI spokesman said several of that agency's agents were en route to the scene to assist.

 

 

A woman named Corrine described the scene to CLTV, saying she was "carried out" of Cole Hall by a "wave" of students running for their lives.

 

"When one of the kids said, 'This guy is shooting!' I just ran to the next building as fast as I could and hid in an empty classroom."

Tragic that something like this has happened yet again here. :(

 

RIP to all of the victims. :(

Edited February 15, 200817 yr by Tyler

"It's every Americans right to bear arms"

 

But let right wing America blame rock music again, it's easier.

While I rarely wish ill feeling on anyone I do think the fact that Charlton Heston is now an incontinent vegetable riddled with bed sores is karma for the fact that he is responsible for much of this $h!t, he has been the leader of the pro gun lobby and the VILE NRA for decades till his illness and they and their attitudes is what is causing $h!t like this to happen. Charlton Heston has a lot of blood on his hands for when he has his appointment with satan

AGAIN?

This is getting out of control in the bloody states, if only that could be arsed to take guns off people.

 

RIP to the victims

The death toll is up to 7 now :(

 

Thoughts go out to all the friends and families affected

 

R.I.P. to all the innocent victims

While I rarely wish ill feeling on anyone I do think the fact that Charlton Heston is now an incontinent vegetable riddled with bed sores is karma for the fact that he is responsible for much of this $h!t, he has been the leader of the pro gun lobby and the VILE NRA for decades till his illness and they and their attitudes is what is causing $h!t like this to happen. Charlton Heston has a lot of blood on his hands for when he has his appointment with satan

 

Firstly, I just wish to express my condolences to the victims, their friends and their families... Yet another shocking incident, but it seems now that this is depressingly the norm in the US....

 

NOW....

 

....Spot on Craig... Full credit to Michael Moore for exposing this hypocrite for what he is... He was the guy who went to Colorado mere WEEKS after the Columbine High School massacre to do his wretched PR on behalf of the fukkin' NRA.... <_<

 

And spot on to Richie as well.. As per fukkin' usual, they'll probably blame "goths" (well, the guy was dressed in black right?? MUST be a Goth then, huh...? <_< ).

 

Yeah, guns dont kill people, listening to Marilyn Manson or Judas Priest records does, yeah....? <_<

 

I think it's sad that people are to worried about the fact that they can't hunt rather then having something like this happen. Retarted rednecks.

I think it's sad that people are to worried about the fact that they can't hunt rather then having something like this happen. Retarted rednecks.

 

I'm just wondering though.. Is it necessarily the ownership of guns that is the problem, or is it just something wrong in the actual psyche of Americans...? Canadians own guns. The Swiss own guns... And massacres such as the ones we are seeing happen on pretty much a regular basis in the US happens about once in a blue moon in Switzerland or Canada....And I'm pretty sure that Canadian and Swiss kids listen to Marilyn Manson and Gangsta rap records too.....

 

The gunman was on medication of some sort, but wasn't said what for, which he stopped taking about a week before the shootings, and he was a graduate from NIU, beck in 2006....and the shooter's father lives about 45 minutes away from me...I feel badly for the shooters father, losing his wife in 2006, now his son....

 

My condolences to the shooter's father, as well as to the families of the victims....

 

 

There are way too many deviants who have access to firearms here in the US....

 

 

'Guns don't kill people, people with guns kill people...'

I'm just wondering though.. Is it necessarily the ownership of guns that is the problem, or is it just something wrong in the actual psyche of Americans...? Canadians own guns. The Swiss own guns... And massacres such as the ones we are seeing happen on pretty much a regular basis in the US happens about once in a blue moon in Switzerland or Canada....And I'm pretty sure that Canadian and Swiss kids listen to Marilyn Manson and Gangsta rap records too.....

 

Now you may call this utterly stupid, but I think the way adults raise their children has alot to do with it. There are so many reports of child neglect/abuse in America it's ridiculous. It would be weird to hear that there wasn't a child molestation case that occurs every day TBH (when I say that I am not blaming parents for child abductions when they did all that they could to prevent it). But it is coming to the point where parents are scared to let their kids go out and play, because they are scared of what might happen to them. Also I would blame it on medications and drugs being so easy to obtain, and so popular in the States. Not to mention that social outcasts in highschool tend to develop poor social skills which could lead to this...which sometimes leads back to how they were raised.

 

Just a few stabs at the issue.

The fact is these "mass shootings," as frightening and horrific as they are, do not represent even 1% of gun crime in the United States. The vast, vast majority of gun crime exists in urban environments amidst gangs and drug crime. And innocent people die all the time in the crossfire. It's just underreported because who cares about the poor black people living in the ghetto?

 

I would agree with Tyler that part of the problem is the huge, huge number of people on prescription drugs. What was once prescribed as a last resort is now prescribed en masse at the first sign of any problem. Teens get upset and book an appointment with a therapist. They walk out with prescriptions for mood stabilizers, antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills, etc. It's a culture of drugs that has probably been institutionalized by the drug companies. The result is 30 million (seriously) drugged out people walking the streets with no comprehension of the power of these mind-altering substances. And the way doctors will just "up the dose" or try something new half-hazardly instills the idea that taking more pills will work better.

I agree with you Consie. I have friends that have been put on anti-depressants because their parents see them cry or get stressed out over school and boyfriends/girlfriends and think they should go see a therapist and be put on anti-depressants. The fact is that your whole life isn't going to be just rainbows and butterflies, and just because you are stressed and upset about something does not mean you need to take zoloft. Now in saying that I am not saying that people who have serious issues should not seek help...but medication does not have to be the only option.

Firstly, I just wish to express my condolences to the victims, their friends and their families... Yet another shocking incident, but it seems now that this is depressingly the norm in the US....

 

NOW....

 

....Spot on Craig... Full credit to Michael Moore for exposing this hypocrite for what he is... He was the guy who went to Colorado mere WEEKS after the Columbine High School massacre to do his wretched PR on behalf of the fukkin' NRA.... <_<

 

And spot on to Richie as well.. As per fukkin' usual, they'll probably blame "goths" (well, the guy was dressed in black right?? MUST be a Goth then, huh...? <_< ).

 

Yeah, guns dont kill people, listening to Marilyn Manson or Judas Priest records does, yeah....? <_<

Well they need to blame someone don't they, it's not a story if it's an "ordinary person" (if you catch my drift).. I've never seen how anyone could feel "pushed" to shoot someone by listening to Marilyn's music, ok maybe some of their old stuff but someone feeling an urge to kill after listening to 'Personal Jesus'? :lol:

 

Gun toll is shocking, not just in the states but the Uk (something like 20 shot dead already this year) + worldwide. There's really not much anyone can do about them, they've been around for centuries and are still around now, causing the same damage, and sadly it won't change. But that's reality for you.

The fact is these "mass shootings," as frightening and horrific as they are, do not represent even 1% of gun crime in the United States. The vast, vast majority of gun crime exists in urban environments amidst gangs and drug crime. And innocent people die all the time in the crossfire. It's just underreported because who cares about the poor black people living in the ghetto?

 

I would agree with Tyler that part of the problem is the huge, huge number of people on prescription drugs. What was once prescribed as a last resort is now prescribed en masse at the first sign of any problem. Teens get upset and book an appointment with a therapist. They walk out with prescriptions for mood stabilizers, antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills, etc. It's a culture of drugs that has probably been institutionalized by the drug companies. The result is 30 million (seriously) drugged out people walking the streets with no comprehension of the power of these mind-altering substances. And the way doctors will just "up the dose" or try something new half-hazardly instills the idea that taking more pills will work better.

 

That's probably a good point... I've often thought that there was something seriously wrong with "over medicating" people, and I definitely balk at the growing trend there seems to be for prescribing kids "mood stabilizers" at alarmingly younger ages... It's all very easy to say that this guy was "off his meds" so that's why he did it, but, no one thinks to ask "well, should he have even been on them in the first place....?".

 

As to your first point, yeah, absolutely... The only time when the media (or the cops) gives a sh!t about gang-related shootings is when white kids from "good families" get caught in the crossfire.... Missing the fact that they were "in da ghetto" to buy drugs in the first place a lot of the time.....

 

I agree with you Consie. I have friends that have been put on anti-depressants because their parents see them cry or get stressed out over school and boyfriends/girlfriends and think they should go see a therapist and be put on anti-depressants. The fact is that your whole life isn't going to be just rainbows and butterflies, and just because you are stressed and upset about something does not mean you need to take zoloft. Now in saying that I am not saying that people who have serious issues should not seek help...but medication does not have to be the only option.

 

Yes, I have many, many friends who were diagnosed with all kinds of disorders when they were teens. Bi-polar, depression, social anxiety, even psychosis and OCD. Thus begins a daily cocktail of various mind-altering drugs that only make things worse! Then the disorder becomes a crutch. "I have a disease, I can't feel better." That kind of attitude. Later on in life, when they grow up, they wonder if any of those treatments ever did any good.

 

Anyway I don't mean to turn this discussion into one of pscyhiatric drugs (and I'm not at ALL qualified to have that argument), but I just think it's disturbing that 1 in 10 Americans takes these drugs. And that drug companies are profiting by the billions.