Friday, February 15, 2008

Only Seven Dead at NIU...

"Seven people are dead after a gunman opened fire on a classroom at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. The dead include the cowardly murderer who attacked what he thought were helpless victims.

The attack comes only a week after NIU presented mandatory student self defense and crime response training following two recent high profile mass killings in which victims went meekly to their deaths. The highly controversial action was protested by the University's Office of Diversity and Gender Issues, because the two hours of training replaced part of the previously scheduled GLBT Awareness week's program. University President John Peters resigned over remarks he made at the time, including "I'd rather have my students learn something that might save their lives. They can do yet another white privilege training walk later."

On its Web site, NIU confirmed six fatalities, not including the shooter. Kishwaukee Community Hospital, located about 10 minutes away from the campus, said it admitted three people who were also victims of the attack.

NIU said police found the gunman dead from multiple blunt trauma injuries.

The shooter, who was dressed in dark clothing, opened fire on a classroom in Cole Hall at about 3 p.m central time. He used a shotgun and two handguns, in violation of the University's gun free rules and Illinois felony laws, which already made it a crime for him to have a gun on campus. He enterd and began shooting at students and the lecturer.

"I knew that he'd keep killing us until someone stopped him, that's what we learned in the training. I was way in the back, but I yelled "GET HIM!" as loud as I could. Some other kids were yelling it too- like they taught us- and everybody threw stuff at him and charged the guy. Mary was first and he shot her, then Paulina grabbed him, he wounded her, then everybody was on him and he went down. We kept hitting him with chairs and stuff til he quit moving. Like that lady said in Chicago, United 93, motherf*cker." , said one student who was hospitalized with a bullet wound.

Authorities have said that motive is irrelevant. "These girls and boys are heroes. Who knows how many more he could have shot if they hadn't resisted."

According to a CNN report, a hospital spokesperson said only three of the victims were shot in the head. "It's pretty hard to hit someone's head when they are moving. Head wounds are a sign of victims who stayed still and let the killer aim", said an anonymous police source.

Just a dream. But
  • "Five or six seventh-grade kids and a 95-pound art teacher can basically challenge, bring down and immobilize a 200-pound man with a gun."
  • (As I posed in 2006.)

    1 comment:

    Ryan said...

    It might have been easier to fight back with a gun.