Shooting at ANOTHER Gun-Free Campus; This Time Its Illinois

Updated: Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, 12:14 am -- The attacker was a former graduate student in sociology, dressed in black, who came in through an unsecured side door and started firing from the stage of a lecture hall. Police confirm he did kill himself. The story uses the phrase "brief, rapid-fire assault" to describe the murders. Interesting, very specific choice of words, and intentional it would appear. One student recalls yelling to herself, "Oh God, he's going to shoot me. Oh God, I'm dead." Trampling upon each other, scrambling to get out, because -- by university decree -- they are not permitted to do anything else but run.

Also, news accounts are becoming clearer. Tragically, five students have died as a result of the "no guns on campus" policy. The geology teacher, a grad student, earlier reported to have been killed in the criminal attack, is wounded and expected to recover.

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Updated: Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008, 11:11 pm -- Here is the Northern Illinois University Student Code of Conduct. You'll get the point when you get to "the words."

"Dangerous Weapons: 1.5a Possession, use, sale, or distribution in any residence hall, building,or grounds under university control of: fireworks, firearms, shotguns, rifles,hand guns, switchblade knives, any type of ammunition, explosives, and all other serious weapons. 1.5b Misuse of martial arts weaponry, BB guns, pellet guns, clubs, knives,and all other serious weapons. Students who wish to bring firearms to the campus must obtain written permission from the chief security officer of the university. Firearms must be stored at the University Security Office except with written permission of the chief security officer of the university. At no time will any of the above dangerous weapons be allowed in the university residence halls."
Now . . . one can make a twisted argument that since the shooter wasn't a student (as currently reported by BBC World Service news), the rules didn't apply. More importantly, and the reality on today's college campuses, is that this same antiquated policy left these students and professor utterly defenseless.

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Updated: Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008, 11:06 pm -- CCRKBA has issued a statement regarding the shootings. Among the most compelling words comes the following: “Illinois lawmakers and anti-gun rights extremists should start explaining right now why they have consistently and systematically resisted progressive, sensible changes in state gun laws that would give people a fighting chance against this kind of outrage,” Gottlieb said. “Advocates of gun-free zones across the country should be held accountable for defending these areas of victim disarmament. These are places where violent criminals and crazies know they will face no resistance as they carry out their rampages."

Click here for the full text of the CCRKBA statement.

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Updated: Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008, 8:49 pm -- Three students and a geology teacher are confirmed dead in the shooting at Northern Illinois University. The killer, also confirmed dead, then turned a gun on himself on a stage in front of other students. He was armed with a shotgun and two handguns on the supposedly safe, gun-free campus west of Chicago.

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News reports say there has been a shooting at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Ill., which is located about 60 miles west of Chicago. Armed with a shotgun, the shooter gunned down at least 18 people. No fatalities have been reported, but several of those taken to hospitals have head wounds.

The attacker is dead, police report.

No point in asking whether the university was "posted" with "no gun" signs. Concealed carry is unheard of in Gov. Daley's state . . . er, I mean, in Illinois. If only a student, or staffer, or prof had been armed. The assailant may well have thought twice. But here, once again, he knew he had a victim rich zone.

How many more people have to die on college campuses or in shopping malls before politicians reverse these insane bans on lawful concealed carry? If they only had a brain.