A gunman shot and killed four people, wounding at least 14 others, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. After opening fire with two handguns and a shotgun in a 600-person lecture hall, the gunman died from a self-inflicted wound, according to CNN.com.
Copy desk chief Eric Rood, of NIU's student newspaper the Northern Star, said that the shooting took place in Cole Hall a little after 3 p.m.
"The scanners had picked that up within 10 minutes and the university responded within another 10 minutes," Rood said. Campus Police, DeKalb City Police, Sycamore City Police and DeKalb County Police responded to the incident.
The wounded victims were transported to Kishiwaukee Community Hospital. Numerous victims were wounded in the head. Six victims in critical condition were transferred to other area hospitals, according to the Kishwaukee Community Hospital Web site.
The gunman was dressed entirely in black, his face covered with a stocking cap, when he shot members of a geography class, according to an MSNBC.com article. The gunman, whose name is not being released, is not believed to be a student at NIU.
"It was almost like he knew who he wanted to shoot," said Edward Robinson in an Associated Press story. "He knew who and where he wanted to be firing at."
Police were gathering witnesses for questioning in NIU's Carl Sandburg Auditorium, according to the Northern Star Web site. The gunman's motive is unknown.
