Campus Shooting Terrifies Northern Illinois University

Another campus shooting incident leaves many people injured and a gunman dead by his own hand.

(DEKALB, Illinois) - At 3:20 PM today, Northern Illinois University issued this message to their students and faculty: "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."

Half an hour later, it was confirmed that there has been a shooting on campus and several people have been taken away by ambulance. There were no fatalities.

The university says 18 victims were transported to Kishwaukee Community Hospital in DeKalb.

Of those who were injured and transported, four are in critical condition and two of those victims were transported to regional hospitals. Eight victims are in stable condition, and six victims are in good condition.

Police say the gunman was no longer a threat on campus by 4:10 PM, reporting that he had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Jillian Martinez was on campus when it all began. She told the Chicago Tribune she was sitting in the back of the class when the gunman suddenly "appeared" and began shooting at the university outside Chicago.

She saw a door that was rarely used open, "There's this door in the lecture hall nobody ever goes through," she said. "I remember seeing it open, and thought it was weird that somebody had opened the door."

But then there was a person standing there, a white man who suddenly bagan his rampage. "All I saw was the flash of shooting," she told the Tribune.

"He pulled out his gun, he just started shooting at all the kids. He just started shooting at people, and I ran out of there as fast as I could."

She says students were rushing for the doors, and "everybody fell over everybody."

"I fell over a couple times. People were trying to get out and screaming. It was really awful."

Hotlines:
* 815-753-1573
* 815-753-6143
* 815-753-1574
* 815-753-1575
* 815-753-9564
* 815-753-6257

Campus officials say all NIU campuses are closed and classes are cancelled for tonight and tomorrow, February 15th, on the DeKalb campus. People are urged not to come to campus. They say more information will be posted on the university's Website as it becomes available.

Counseling is also available on campus for students at the Neptune Dining Hall, Campus Life Building 100 and the Psychological Services Center in the Psychology/Computer Science Building. Students may go to any residence hall for counseling.