Good lord: 18 people shot at Northern Illinois University? Update: At least one dead; Update: Five Six dead
posted at 5:15 pm on February 14, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Sounds like another VTech. Not much information yet. Standby.
Update: The university webpage says the scene is secure but no word on victims.
Update: VTech redux: It happened inside a lecture hall and the gunman’s suspected dead by suicide.
Update: Like I say, VTech redux: “A viewer who e-mailed CBS 2 said that her brother was in the lecture hall where the shooting happened. ‘He says that the gunmen was a white male dressed in all black. He kicked the door in and opened fire. My brother dove under the desk, and popped his head up to see the gunmen was reloading. He grabbed his girlfriend’s hand and ran to the library where they been in lockdown since.’”
Update: Another student says it was a shotgun. I’m skeptical.
Update: CNN has backed off the number 18 but it’s in the ballpark of 15, and three or four of them have head wounds.
Update: A pistol and a shotgun:
Sophomore Geoff Alberti of Geneva told his parents he was in geology class when the gunman, carrying both a piston and a shotgun, entered the auditorium-style classroom through an emergency exit. The shooter did not say anything before opening fire on the class, he told his parents.
“He said at least 20 rounds were fired,” said his mother, Marilyn.
Update: The gunman’s dead and at least one other person.
Update: Oddly, the hospital is keeping a running tally on its website of how many victims have arrived. 13 and counting.
Update: “Calmly”:
The man entered the room from the back, behind the professor, and began shooting without saying a word, Sundstrom said, firing in the general direction of the students. He emptied his clip of ammunition and calmly reloaded before resuming firing.
Update: An odd detail:
Student Edward Robinson told WLS that the gunman appeared to target students in one part of the lecture hall.
”It was almost like he knew who he wanted to shoot,” Robinson said. ”He knew who and where he wanted to be firing at.”
Someone suggested in the comments that there might be a Valentine’s Day connection here. Maybe he was aiming for someone in particular?
Update: 17 victims at the hospital, three of them critical.
Update: The earlier report of one killed has been walked back. Keep hope alive.
Update: Awful. Five dead, says the Tribune.
Update: Six dead now.
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a capella,
I kind of doubt that would happen very often. Guns are quicker and easier to get access to. Bombs are time-consuming and dangerous to construct (Palestinian work accident, anyone?.
Plus, these lone gunmen typically are loner types, often with a mental illness. The terrorist suicide bombers we see in the middle east are usually members of a large organization where they have bomb-making factories to construct the bomb, recruiters, handlers, and finally, the guillible s.o.b. that straps on the bomb.
The terrorists have a fairly uniform ideology motivating their attacks (e.g. kill the infidels) while these lone shooters each have their own agenda (often motivated by psychosis).
As long as the feds can keep jihadists from starting up terror cells here, I doubt we’ll see many suicide bombings–although we may see the occasional mad genius a la the unibomber. In any event, it takes just one bullet to take down a potential bomber, so I still think our defense is to have an armed and vigilant citizenry.
drflykilla on February 15, 2008 at 1:56 PM
I don’t know if anyone’s linked to this or similar yet, but the shooter was a lefty honours student in social work etc.:
http://www.fivefeetoffury.com/:entry:fivefeet-2008-02-15-0012/
andycanuck on February 15, 2008 at 2:22 PM
yes andy.
I am just waiting for one of the MSM to say he was not allowed to work for law enforcement angencies due to mental illnesses even if he was honors etc., and that is when he went off his meds.
upinak on February 15, 2008 at 2:26 PM
I havent read all the comments but, AP, “Lord” is like “God”, when used as a noun it should be capitalized.
Labamigo on February 15, 2008 at 2:53 PM
I’m not opposed to arming the citizenry, but I think this opportunity is just too great for the jihadists to pass up. With proper nurturing and contacts, they can probably identify and supply the occasional lone nutter, or they can use a few of their own who have been Americanized. It adds to the confusion as to motive,…just one more move in the chess game. The perps in the Columbia school shooting had propane tanks strewn all over the place. They just didn’t have effective detonation devices. I’m sure a friendly, Americanized Islamist could help with that under a false flag. I’ll bet there are some pretty active recruitment activities already in place.
a capella on February 15, 2008 at 3:15 PM
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/talkradio/transcripts/Transcript.aspx?ContentGuid=c3da016e-0628-4e0e-81c9-d14cdfb115b1
a capella on February 15, 2008 at 3:55 PM
a capella,
You’re probably right. I’m sure the terrorist freaks in the ME love to take advantage of the desparate and the mentally unstable. They’d probably love to take their game stateside if they haven’t already. That’s just one more reason for the feds to crack down more on illegal immigration and reduce legal immigration from places like Saudi Arabia.
And issues like this are the number one reason I will be voting for John McCain in the primary instead of staying home. The War on Terror is way too important to leave in the hands of lefty liberals.
drflykilla on February 15, 2008 at 4:33 PM
“Police were on the scene within a few minutes …”
When seconds count, the police are just minutes away.
America1st on February 15, 2008 at 4:53 PM
I agree with you LimeyGeek. I am at a point that I just do not know what to think anymore of these tragedies. It does not matter where you are, schools, campuses, malls, parking lots, hotels, these type of deranged shootings can happen anywhere. We are all at risk at any time at any place. Our 9/11 proved that, no doubt. While I feel uncomfortable using a gun, I feel very comfortable with my knife. I know a knife is no match for guns, but I could throw mine and be exact. It is quiet, makes no noise until I hit the target.
Unfortunately, as our population grows, so does the evil.
txstar on February 15, 2008 at 4:54 PM
That PMSNBC article is incorrect. If you have a concealed carry permit in Oregon you can carry on the grounds of any public school. Private schools and businesses can set their own policies, but if the school or building is funded in any way with taxpayer money then it has to abide by the Oregon constitution and allow guns on campus by people with concealed carry permits. The only places we can’t carry are in courthouses or secure areas of airports.
Afterimage on February 15, 2008 at 9:27 PM
Never mention the killer’s name.
Just report it as “Maniac #214″.
The more you publicize these psychotic losers, the more new losers you encourage.
No stories about “why” because everyone already knows why: they were useless screwball scum.
No reporting about their past, because it only glamorizes the entire process and feeds the attention-seeking mechanism of the next screwball scumbag looking for narcissistic notice.
Erase their memory, ignore their psychotic life, mock their imbecility, scorn their infantile, murderous tantrum, and it may decrease the attraction of this media fixation on meaningless mayhem and morbidity.
If all it gains you is mass anonymous dismissal… as a puny, forgettable dipsh*t… it will be less alluring to future f*ck-ups.
profitsbeard on February 16, 2008 at 12:51 AM
I was shocked that it took more than five minutes for nuts from both the left side and the right side to start shrieking over gun control.
Lefty: This is why none of us should have guns and we should all live together in perfect harmony
Righty: Everyone should have a gun and if I had a gun and someone was shooting at me, I’d pull out my handgun just like Jack Bauer or like when I play Halo and fire away!!
RoPa4life on February 16, 2008 at 5:44 PM
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