By Mike Nizza
Associated Press
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press
DEKALB, Ill. — The man who opened fire on students in a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University was described by police on Friday as a 27-year-old former sociology student there who had been highly regarded, but they said he began to act erratic in recent weeks after he stopped taking medication.
Stephen Kazmierczak, who killed five and wounded 15 before turning the gun on himself, was “a very good student and a fairly normal, unstressed person” who lived in Champagne-Urbana, Ill., said Donald Grady, the chief of the college’s department of public safety.
But Mr. Grady said that those who knew the shooter said he had started acting erratic in recent weeks. “Apparently, he had been taking medication and he had stopped taking the medication in recent weeks,” Mr. Grady said.
“We had no indication at all that this would be the type of person to engage in this type of activity,” Mr. Grady said.
Mr. Kazmierczak bought two of the four guns used in the attack — a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9-millimeter Glock pistol — six days ago, and they were legally registered to him, authorities said. The two other pistols were being traced.
Mr. Kazmierczak parked near the lecture hall, and carried the shotgun in a guitar case and the pistols and ammunition strapped to his body, concealed by a coat, Mr. Grady said.
He proceeded through a side door to the lecture hall’s stage, and immediately opened fire without speaking. Forty eight casings and 6 shotgun shells were found at the scene, indicating more shots than initially estimated by witnesses.
The gunman had been a graduate student in sociology at the university in Spring 2007, Mr. Grady said. Records indicated that Mr. Kazmierczak, who had more recently attended a different state school, had no previous police contact, the authorities said.
“There were no red flags,” Mr. Grady said. “Unfortunately, these things happen.”
Mr. Grady also described the response to the attack as “remarkable,” saying that “we did everything we could to ensure the safety of the university.”
Two officers arrived in the area less than a minute after the shooting began and several other officers reached the scene two minutes later, he said.
But the gunman killed himself before officers entered the building, leaving behind a blood spattered hall with 21 victims, including the 5 dead and 7 critically wounded.
John G. Peters, the president of Northern Illinois University, announced that a candlelight vigil would be held Friday at 9 p.m. Central time. Speaking of the families of the victims, he said, “they will get through this, with our help.”
President Bush commented on the shooting Friday morning, saying it was “obviously a tragic situation on that campus.” He said he was asking citizens across the country to “offer their blessings — blessings of comfort and blessings of strength” to the families of the victims.
The coroner’s office in Dekalb county, Ill., gave the names of four of the victims as Daniel Parmenter, 20; Catalina Garcia, 20; Ryanne Mace, 19; and Julianna Gehant, 32.
Kishwaukee Community Hospital said on Friday morning that only two of the 18 patients admitted remained there, and they were in good or fair condition.
A 22-year-old male died, and seven others in critical condition were flown to other hospitals, the hospital said. The hospital planned a news conference for 11 a.m. central time.
Susan Saulny contributed reporting from DeKalb, Ill., and Monica Davey from Racine, Wis. Dirk Johnson contributed reporting from DeKalb, Catrin Einhorn from Chicago, and Graham Bowley and John Holusha from New York.