I just heard about this a little while ago. I pray for all the victims that they'll fully recover. Too much of this type of tragedy in the last few years. So sad for all involved.

Shirley

Local news says the gunman is NOT an NIU student but a student at another university. Went to the stage of the hall in an oceanography class. Opened fire with a shotgun and then a pistol.

I have a nephew that goes to either Normal or Northern. I keep getting them mixed up. I hope it is not there.
Clare

That's the college I attended!!!
Donna

Now reporting the 4 students are dead and the gunman. So sad.

Was gone all day and haven't heard this. So sorry. Poor kids and parents.

CNN was covering the story from the time it happened. What a tragedy for the kids and their families.

Horrible. This must stop! What next, TSA at schools?

Latest new report says the shooter had been a graduate student, but was not enrolled for this semester. The same report said he had two pistols and a shotgun, but had used only one of the pistols. The police has recovered only one of the pistols - whereabout of the other pistol is unknown at this writing. One report said one of the pistols was a Glock. One of the wounded, taken to the hospital, has died.

Other Information:

Northern Illinois University is at DeKalb, IL.
Normal Ill. Univ. is much farther south at Bloomington/Normal, IL.

After the state of ILlinois was organized, about 5 teacher colleges were established scattered over the state. These were to produce teachers for grammar (grades 1-8) schools, or Normal schools. One of these was the teacher college at Normal, IL; another was at Charleston, IL. That was many years ago, and today, a number of those colleges have grown into Universities.

The town of DeKalb, IL is named after Baron DeKalb, a mercinary who fought on the side of the new United States against Great Britian in the Revolutionary War. Baron DeKalb, as he called himself, was German born and a soldier for hire living in France. He came with Lafaette and his armada of ships when Lafaette came to the aid of George Washington. DeKalb was presented to Congress and given a title of Brigdier General and immediatly sent off to war. DeKalb did not live long thereafter; He was killed in an military engagement. A monument was errected in his honor, the only foreign national so honored in that war.

Baron DeKalb was not a real Baron by royal decree. It was a title that he gave himself since he believed that he deserved this title owning to military services that he had performed.

Information on Baron DeKalb can be found in the World Book Encyclopedia.

Normal used to be the university's name. And the town's name is Normal too. My great aunt was dean of women there. Barton Hall is named after her.

How sad for the students at NIU. What is a kid doing with so many guns????

GUNS AGAIN!!!!!! There are way to many guns out there, and it is way to easy for any one to get their hands on them. Please, don't give me that old crap about guns don't kill people. people do. Yes, but they use guns to do it. What other weapon can you kill from a distance as efficiantly as a gun? JMO

Why don't these suicidal crazies just stay at home and shoot themselves if they are going to take their own life anyway?

My Daughter teaches High School and I worry about "crazies" like this.

Gayle