DeKalb Shootings Change Town's Identity Forever
Until yesterday, DeKalb meant one thing to me: Country music. But one man with two guns has changed all that. Now, for millions of people across the country, DeKalb now stands for yet another senseless college shooting.DeKalb's Northern Illinois University campus is about a half hour west of where I live. It's nestled in the farmlands that sit on the edge of Chicagoland's suburbs, kind of a transitional gateway to the way-more-rural land that stretches beyond it. And its Convocation Center has been hosting country acts for years: Sugarland, Rodney Atkins, Rascal Flatts, Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley. Bentley's was the last show I saw there, and it was one of his best ever. The arena-style seating with the college-town vibe fit perfectly with the personality of his live show. So when country fans around here thought of DeKalb, I'm sure they always thought of good times. Now, everyone will think of the six students who died while sitting in an oceanography class on Valentine's Day.
Coincidentally and tragically, another Chicago venue has lost its innocent identity. Tinley Park is home to Chicago's only outdoor amphitheatre, and always has a half-dozen country shows each summer. But now the name of that quiet suburb stands for something horrible: A shooting at a Lane Bryant store that left five women dead, with a shooter who is still at large. Just a half-hour south of me, in a town I used to associate with sunburns and steel guitars, there is a dark cloud that will forever hang over that venue.
The correlation of these shootings is mainly just in my head. Although, having them both happen within two weeks and 70 miles of each other makes it hard to ignore the link. While the connection between DeKalb, Tinley Park and live country music may still be there, it's now one that people will always associate with random acts of violence. My heart and prayers go out to the families and friends of all of those touched by both tragedies.
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Tina L says:
My brother went to NIU so this tragic loss hits close to home. We went to these shows a lot too, and I have been campus so many times that i cant even imagine the feel of it now. The familys are in my prayers forver.
Valpo says:
I seen this in the paper but had no idea it was so close to that mall shooting. Is there a connection or is it just a bad luck for Chicago? Its really sad and makes me scared for my own life. I will pray too, even though i dont see how that will help bring anyboy back.
Pat Thomas says:
Heartbreaking! Senseless. Useless.
I understand he “went off his medication”. Why in God’s name are we doing all this medicating? Idiots like this one come off it and want to kill people? What’s wrong with this “medicine”, then? MUCH! We ‘medicate” our children, help the housewife get thru her day, help the entertainers entertain, athletes to athlete, etc., etc. Whoa! Time to think! These families…oh, God! I am so, so sorry this happened to you and your children. AND FOR NOTHING! If these fools want to die, then go ahead and die, but stop taking innocents with you! You look stupid! Nothing heroic about you!
Samantha Black says:
While we can speculate till the cows come home as to what prompted this gunman to walk into the Cole Bldg. and kill 6 students, wounding 15 additional (last count) - there’s only one speculation that’s probably 99% accurate: if the students on this campus had a conceal carry hand-gun law and only 10 students in every 100 carried - this lunatic most likely would not have burst in there and open fired. If he HAD chosen to do so knowing the risk, it’s probable that 5 of those 10 students would have cut him down before he could have gotten a single round off. Gun control is not the answer - it leaves innocent bystanders unarmed and on the defensive. It puts guns in the hands of nut jobs and thieves and murderers. Conceal carry laws level the playing field and deter lunatics from making the wrong choices.
Support the Second Amendment - someday, your life may depend on it.
At the very least, educate yourself then make a decision:
http://www.concealedcampus.com
Sarah says:
Anyone who thinks that allowing students to carry hand-guns would have prevented this tragedy from happening is not thinking clearly.
1. The shooting ended in 2 minuets with the gunman taking his own life. He didn’t care about the risk of dying and knowing others may be packing would not have stopped him.
2. It was said by the students who first saw him that they though it was someone joking around. By the time anyone reacted to the situation the students who died were already hit.
3. I went to school at NIU and had classes in Cole Hall. I can easily say that having 5 to 10 additional guns shooting back at the stage would have caused crossfire that would have most likely injured more. Also, how would a vigilant gun carrying student know if other gun carrying students were protecting students or in with the gunman and shooting at them?
4. The first police officers were there 90 seconds from the first report of the incident. How, too, would they know which gun carrying students were good guys and which were bad?