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2008 Northern Illinois University shooting

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Northern Illinois University shooting
Entrance to Cole Hall, morning after the shootings
LocationDeKalb, Illinois, United States
DateThursday, February 14 2008
3:05 p.m. (CST)
TargetNorthern Illinois University
Attack type
School shooting, murder-suicide
WeaponsRemington 870 shotgun,[1] 9 mm Glock, 2 other handguns[2]
Deaths6 (including the perpetrator)
Injured18
PerpetratorSteven Phillip Kazmierczak

The Northern Illinois University shooting was an incident that took place on February 14 2008, during which a gunman shot multiple people on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois; five of his victims were killed, eighteen were wounded. The incident happened on the campus's Cole Hall at approximately 3:05 p.m. local time.[3] The school placed the campus on lockdown and cancelled all classes until February 25. Students and teachers were advised to head to a secure location and take cover, avoiding the scene and all buildings in the vicinity of the area.[4] Six people died in the incident, including the perpetrator, making it the fourth-deadliest university shooting in United States history, after the Virginia Tech massacre, the University of Texas Clock Tower shooting, and the California State University, Fullerton library massacre.[5][6]

Shooting

At approximately 3:06 pm CST, Steven Kazmierczak entered a large auditorium-style lecture hall in Cole Hall with 150 to 200 students. The door he used led directly to the stage in front of the classroom where Kazmierczak stood and fired into the crowd of students with a shotgun and three handguns; the shotgun was smuggled in using a guitar case and the handguns were concealed under his coat.[7][8][9][10] The gunman was a former NIU Sociology graduate student and a current graduate student in the school of social work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.[11][8][12] NIU Police Chief Donald Grady described him as "an outstanding student" who reportedly stopped taking medication recently and became "somewhat erratic".[13]

A total of 24 people were shot, six of whom died (including the perpetrator, who shot himself before police arrived).[7][12][14] One witness reported that at least 30 shots were fired by the gunman; police later collected 48 shell casings and 6 shotgun shells.[15] By February 15, at least seven of the victims were in critical condition, one in good condition, one in stable and eight discharged, according to Kishwaukee Community Hospital.[16] Two of the wounded were transferred by helicopter to Rockford's Saint Anthony Medical Center, three to Downers Grove's Good Samaritan Hospital, and one to Rockford Memorial Hospital.[7][16] Two patients that had been hospitalized died as a result of their injuries.[14] By 4:00 pm CST, school officials announced that there was no further danger and that counselors would be made available in all residence halls.[7]

Deceased

A total of six people, all residents of Illinois, were killed in the incident:[13][17]

Injured

A total of eighteen people were injured in the incident:[18]

Perpetrator

Steven Phillip Kazmierczak

The perpetrator in the shootings was Steven Phillip Kazmierczak, 27 (August 1980 - February 14, 2008), who was born in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, U.S.A.[19][20] He graduated from Elk Grove High School in 1998 and went on to study sociology at Northern Illinois University (NIU). Though his family moved to Florida in 2004, Kazmierczak continued his education in Illinois.[21][22] He enlisted in the United States Army in September 2001, and was discharged before completing basic training in February 2002 for unknown reasons.[23] His mother, Gail, died in Lakeland, Florida in September 2006 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).[24][25][26] At the time of Steven's death, his father, Robert, was living in a retirement community in Lakeland.[25]

Kazmierczak graduated from NIU in 2006[21] where he received the Dean's award in 2006 and was considered a stand-out, well-regarded student.[21] Campus police describe him as a "fairly normal" and "unstressed person."[27] Faculty, students, and staff "revered" him and there was no indication of any trouble.[28] NIU President John G. Peters said that he had "a very good academic record, no record of trouble."[22] Kazmierczak was Vice-President of the NIU chapter of the American Correctional Association; he had also written about the U.S. correctional system, specifically prisons.[29]

In 2006, Kazmierczak, along with two other graduate students and under the lead authorship of a sociology professor, co-authored an academic paper entitled, "Self-injury in Correctional Settings: 'Pathology' of Prisons or of Prisoners?"; it was published in the academic journal Criminology & Public Policy.[30]

He was enrolled at NIU in the spring of 2007,[21] where he took two courses in Arabic and a course called ""Politics of the Middle East". His research paper was on the subject of Hamas and its social service projects.[31] He left to begin graduate work in the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where he intended to study mental health issues. He was enrolled part-time at UIUC during the fall of 2007 and worked from September 24 through October 9 at the Rockville Correctional Facility for Women near the Illinois-Indiana border. His reasons for leaving were unclear; he simply, "did not come back to work," according to Doug Garrison of the Indiana Department of Correction. By early 2008, he was again enrolled full time at UIUC.[23]

He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound during this shooting event.[10][2] ABC News reports that his behavior seemed to become more erratic in the weeks leading up to the shooting, and that it is believed he stopped taking medication beforehand.[23] His girlfriend, Jessica Baty, confirmed that Kazmierczak was taking Xanax (anti-anxiety), Ambien (sleep aid), and Prozac (antidepressant), all of which were prescribed to him by a psychiatrist. She said that he stopped taking Prozac about three weeks prior to the February 14 shooting. She also said that, during their two-year courtship, she had never seen him display violent tendencies and she expressed bewilderment over the cause of the rampage. "He was anything but a monster," Baty said. "He was probably the nicest, most caring person ever."[32] Since the shooting, authorities have intercepted a number of packages he sent to her, which included such items as a gun holster and bullets, a textbook on serial killers for her class, the book The Antichrist by Friedrich Nietzsche, and a final note written for her, signed with his first and last name.[33] The shooting was baffling to those who knew him, as he appeared outgoing and never appeared to have social problems. This has also confused investigators, who have not found a suicide note.[34] Some of Kazmierczak's former NIU roommates described him as a quiet man who usually stayed to himself. They stated that, while fairly normal, they did not see him spend much time with other students. [35]

Reaction

Multiple makeshift memorials, including this one near the MLK Commons facing Cole Hall, were established across the NIU campus in the days after the shooting.

The university's official website reported the possibility of a gunman on campus at 3:20,[3] within 20 minutes of the shooting.[36] The website then warned students, "There has been a report of a possible gunman on campus. Get to a safe area and take precautions until given the all clear. Avoid the King Commons and all buildings in that vicinity." By 3:40 p.m., all NIU classes were canceled for the remainder of the day and the campus was closed by NIU officials as part of a new security plan devised after the Virginia Tech shooting 10 months earlier.[36] Students were asked to contact their parents as soon as possible.[3] All NIU Huskie sporting events, home and away, through Sunday were canceled.[13] Most students left campus for the weekend.[37] A spokesman for the ATF stated that agents were dispatched to the scene to assist and to help trace the weapons used. The FBI also sent agents to assist. [7] According to police, Steven Kazmierczak removed the hard drive from his laptop computer and a computer chip from his cell phone and did not leave a note that could help explain why he chose a geology class on Valentine's Day to open fire. Investigators are expected to spend at least three more weeks until they release a report on the incident.[38]

Vigils and memorial services

File:Peters NIU shooting.JPG
University President John Peters speaks at a campus memorial service held on February 24, 2008 at the Convocation Center in memory of the victims of the shooting.

Approximately 2,000 gathered on campus on the evening of Friday, February 15, for a candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims; among other public figures, Jesse Jackson and Robert W. Pritchard spoke. Since the day of the shooting, the Lutheran Campus Ministry has held nightly candlelight vigils, and will continue to do so indefinitely.[39] All classes and athletic events were canceled through February 24 2008. Faculty and staff returned to work on Tuesday, February 19, and for the remainder of that week received special information and training to help students upon their return to classes the following week. On February 21, exactly a week after the shooting happened, five minutes of silence were observed from 3:06-3:11 pm CST, accompanied by the tolling of bells throughout the community, at a special ceremony attended by thousands in memory of the victims which was held at the MLK Commons. Moments of silence were also held elsewhere throughout the DeKalb community.[40] There was a special memorial service held in the NIU Convocation Center on February 24, the day before classes resumed, in honor of the victims that initiated a set of activities and services aimed at community recovery that will continue throughout the semester. Due to the loss of one week of instructional time in the middle of the semester, an extra week will be added in May.[41]

Condolences and tributes

U.S. President George W. Bush speaks with University president John Peters via telephone from the White House to offer his condolences.

United States President George W. Bush, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Dick Durbin, and U.S. Congressman Donald Manzullo offered their personal condolences to NIU President John Peters and the University community in wake of the tragedy, as did many local communities and school districts, and a plethora of universities across the United States.[42][43] The Chicago Blackhawks NHL franchise wore NIU Huskies decals on the helmets during their game on Sunday, February 17 2008, versus the Colorado Avalanche. A moment of silence was also observed before the national anthem at the game, and the team wore the same decal during its next two games at the St. Louis Blues and at home against the Minnesota Wild.[44] During spring training, Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams sported NIU caps in tribute to the victims.[45] Virginia Tech had a tribute with students wearing shirts saying "Hokies for Huskies". Students wore these shirts during their basketball game against Georgia Tech on February 23, 2008.[46] For the 2008 season, the Chicago Cubs will fly a NIU flag over the grandstands in the out field.[47]

Future of Cole Hall

On February 26, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and University President John G. Peters proposed the demolition of the current Cole Hall. The proposal comes as a response to the "bad" memories of the students who have to attend classes in the building. The proposal would tear down Cole Hall, leave the Cole Hall site as a memorial site, and erect a new building called "Memorial Hall" nearby, at a cost of approximately $40 million.[48]

However, due to mixed emotions on the decision, President Peters sent out a message to all NIU students via their student email accounts, soliciting comments from students and the extended NIU family. In addition, a committee has been established to help reach a consensus on the future of Cole Hall.[49]

Earlier incident and possible threats

The campus was shut down on December 10 2007, the first day during exam week, after graffiti was found on a restroom wall warning of a possible shooting. A university spokesman said that the warning, which was discovered December 10, made reference to the Virginia Tech massacre, in which 32 people were killed, but it could not be immediately determined whether the threat was related to the shootings on February 14 2008. The Chicago Sun-Times reported at that time that an unknown person posted the graffiti in the Grant Towers D residence hall, which included a racial slur and the notation "What time? The VA tech shooters [sic] messed up w/ having only one shooter."[8] However, NIU President John Peters stated that he did not believe that the December incident is connected to the February 14 shootings.[50]

A few days before February 14, the university also received another threat of unspecified nature, which was dismissed due to lack of credibility.[51]

See also

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References

  1. ^ Authorities release information on Cole Hall shooter
  2. ^ a b "Gunman Planned Campus Shooting For At Least Six Days". ABC News. 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-02-15. Cite error: The named reference "ABC_0215" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c "Campus Alert Updates." Northern Illinois University. Retrieved on February 20, 2008.
  4. ^ "Six Dead After University Shooting". CityNews. 2008-02-14. Retrieved 2008-02-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "FGCU pays tribute to Northern Illinois team". Scott Hotard. Naples News. 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2008-04-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "3 p.m. update: Gunman identified in NIU shootings; 6 dead". DeKalb Daily Chronicle. 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-04-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e "18 shot, five dead including gunman, at Northern Illinois University". CNN. 2008-02-14. Retrieved 2008-02-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ a b c Staff Writer (2008-02-14). "Gunman opens fire on Illinois campus". MSNBC. Retrieved 2008-02-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ "7 Dead in N. Illinois U. Hall Shooting". Associated Press. 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  10. ^ a b "Source IDs alleged campus gunman who killed 6, himself". CNN. 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-02-15. Cite error: The named reference "CNN_0215" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  11. ^ "NIU noted gunman's scholarship". Chicago Tribune. 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ a b "Gunman Dead; More Than a Dozen Injured at Northern Illinois University". Fox News. 2008-02-14. Retrieved 2008-02-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ a b c "NIU sporting events cancelled in wake of shooting". CNN.com. 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Cite error: The named reference "ESPN.com" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b Meisner, Jason (2008-02-14). "NIU shooting leaves 6 dead". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2008-02-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Illinois School Gunman Named; Toll Corrected". National Public Radio. 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ a b "Kishwaukee Community Hospital update." Retrieved on February 15 2008.
  17. ^ "Gunman in Illinois campus shooting identified". CNN.com. 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Faiwell, Sara; Peterson, Eric; Malik, Nadia; Pohl, Kim. "Update on wounded NIU students." Daily Herald. February 19 2008. Retrieved on February 19 2008.
  19. ^ Pallasch, Abdon K.; Fusco, Chris; Main, Frank; McKinney, Dave; Esposito, Stefano. "Portrait of a killer." Chicago Sun Times. February 16, 2008. Retrieved on February 16, 2008.
  20. ^ Nizza, Mike; Saulny, Susan; Davey, Monica; Johnson, Dirk; Einhorn, Catrin; Bowley, Graham; Holusha, John. "Suspect in Campus Attack Is Identified." New York Times. February 15, 2008. Retrieved on February 15, 2008.
  21. ^ a b c d David Heinzmann and Stacy St. Clair (2008-02-14). "NIU noted gunman's scholarship". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ a b Heinzmann, David; St. Clair, Stacy. "Illinois gunman was honored student." Los Angeles Times. February 15, 2008. Retrieved on February 15, 2008.
  23. ^ a b c Friedman, Emily. "Who Was the Illinois School Shooter?." ABC News. February 15, 2008. Retrieved on February 15, 2008.
  24. ^ Social Security Death Index maintained by Ancestry.Com. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  25. ^ a b Gunman previously honored by school, February 15, 2008, Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  26. ^ Staff Writer. "A Killer Who Fit In: Kazmierczak Profiled." nbc5.com/. February 15, 2008. Retrieved on February 19, 2008.
  27. ^ Friedman, Emily (2008-02-15). "Who Was the Illinois School Shooter?". ABC News. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Bohn, Kevin. "Company: Gunman, Virginia Tech shooter used same Web dealer." CNN. February 15, 2008. Retrieved on February 15, 2008.
  29. ^ David Heinzmann, David; Smith, Gerry; Zorn, Eric. "NIU gunman's baffling trail reveals no motive." Chicago Tribune. February 16, 2008. Retrieved on February 20, 2008.
  30. ^ Thomas, Jim; Leaf, Margaret; Kazmierczak, Steve; Stone, Josh. "Self-Injury In Correctional Settings: 'Pathology' of Prisons or of Prisoners?." Criminology & Public Policy, February 2006, Vol. 5, Iss. 1, 192-202. Retrieved on February 15, 2008. (doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2006.00111.x)
  31. ^ Abdelnabi, Rasmieyh. "NIU grad recalls shooter as inquisitive, smart, nice." Chicago Sun-Times. February 20, 2008. Retrieved on March 13, 2008.
  32. ^ Boudreau, Abbie; Zamost, Scott. "Girlfriend: Shooter was taking cocktail of 3 drugs." CNN. February 20, 2008. Retrieved on February 20, 2008.
  33. ^ "University shooter's girlfriend: 'I couldn't believe it'". CNN. 2008-02-18. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
  34. ^ Pallasch, Abdon K.; Korecki, Natasha; Herrmann, Andrew. "Gunman 'somewhat erratic'." Chicago Sun Times. February 16, 2008. Retrieved on February 16, 2008.
  35. ^ Cramer, Kevin P.; Foster, Regan. "Killer was ‘a quiet, smarter kid’." Northwest Herald. February 16, 2008. Retrieved on February 21, 2008.
  36. ^ a b Johnson, Carla K. (2008-02-15). "NIU Shooting Tests New Security Plan". AP. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  37. ^ Gross, Ben. "Campus empties for weekend." Northern Star Online. February 15 2008. Retrieved on February 17 2008.
  38. ^ "Police: Northern Illinois University Gunman Destroyed Evidence to Mislead Investigators." Retrieved on February 26, 2008.
  39. ^ "Vigils and Services". Northern Illinois University. Retrieved on February 22 2008.
  40. ^ Daily Chronicle. "Listening Together: NIU and the community share moments of silence." Daily Chronicle Online. February 22 2008. Retrieved on February 22 2008.
  41. ^ Peters, John. "A message from NIU President John Peters." Northern Star Online. February 16 2008. Retrieved on February 17 2008.
  42. ^ "Authorities Identify Former Student Who Killed 5 in Attack at Northern Illinois University". FOX News. 2008-02-15. Retrieved 2008-02-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. ^ "Condolences: Messages from Other Universities". Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  44. ^ Staff Writer (February 16 2008). "NIU shooting victims to be honored". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2008-02-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ "Guillen, Williams pay tribute to NIU victims". Sun-Times Media Group. 2008-02-17. Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  46. ^ "Hokies United: Hokies For Huskies". Virginia Tech. 2008-02-20. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. ^ [/ "Chicago Cubs to remember NIU throughout season"]. The Northern Star. 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2008-04-18. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  48. ^ "Blagojevich, Peters propose $40M to replace Cole". Northern Star. 2008-02-28. Retrieved 2008-03-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  49. ^ "Peters announces three-phase process for Cole Hall decision". Northern Star. 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-03-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  50. ^ Underwood, Melissa. "Shooting Reminds Students of Earlier Threat on Campus." Fox News. February 15 2008. Retrieved on February 15 2008.
  51. ^ "How the NIU Massacre Happened". Time. February 16 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

External links

41°56′03″N 88°46′08″W / 41.93417°N 88.76889°W / 41.93417; -88.76889

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