NIU moves forward
DEKALB — Today, Tuesday, faculty and staff members are returning to work at Northern Illinois University, five days after Stephen Kazmierczak added the school to a list that includes Columbine High School and Virginia Tech.
Shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday, the 27-year-old Kazmierczak stepped out onto the stage in a lecture hall in Cole Hall, and opened fire with a shotgun and various handguns. After shooting and killing Daniel Parmenter, 20, of Elmhurst; Catalina Garcia, 20, of Cicero; Ryanne Mace, 19, of Carpentersville; Julianna Gehant, 32, of the Mendota area, and Gayle Dubowski, 20, of Carol Stream, and wounding 16 others, he then turned one of the guns on himself.
Kazmierczak was born in Elk Grove Village and graduated from Elk Grove High School. According to reports, he had a history of behavioral problems and spent time in a treatment house in Chicago. After a brief stint in the Army, Kazmierczak enrolled at NIU, where he distinguished himself as a student before graduating in 2006. He was a graduate student at NIU and served as a teaching assistant until the spring of 2007, when he transferred to the University of Illinois.
According to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kazmierczak began building his arsenal last August, and eventually purchased a 9mm Sig-Sauer, a Hi-Point .380-caliber pistol, a Remington 12-gauge Model 870 shotgun and a Glock 9mm pistol from a Champaign gun dealer. The purchases were apparently legal, and Kazmierczak had a valid Illinois firearm owner’s identification card.
Authorities said Kazmierczak recently had stopped taking his medications and had been behaving erratically.
According to NIU’s Web site, the Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) building, located across from Cole Hall, will be open 24/7 until further notice. LCM will provide food, a sanctuary for quiet prayer or reflection, and support for all people in the community. In addition, LCM will hold nightly vigils at 6:30 p.m. indefinitely.
A memorial service will be held at the NIU Convocation Center on Sunday.
All university events, including athletic competitions, are canceled through Sunday, and all classes are set to resume on Monday. All classes that were held in Cole Hall will be relocated for the rest of the semester.
The week off of classes will require a week to be added at the end of the semester.
Commencement, originally scheduled for May 10 will be moved to May 17.
Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.