Bob McCarty Writes

Less than 24 hours after gunman Stephen Kazmierczak unleashed a fury of bullets that killed six — including himself — and injured 15 others inside Northern Illinois University’s Cole Hall, officials at the school in Dekalb, Ill., held a mid-morning news conference.

Spokespersons for the university echoed the fact that NIU had a plan in place and had practiced that plan with hopes of avoiding a tragedy like the one experienced at Virginia Tech University almost six months ago.

“We were dealing with a disturbed individual who intended to do harm on this campus,” said NIU President John Peters, speaking to a crowd of news media who had descended upon the campus during the previous 12 hours.

“This is a national tragedy that happened on the Dekalb campus of Northern Illinois University,” added Cherilyn G. Murer, chair of the NIU Board of Trustees.

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