Stephen ( Steven ) Kazmierczak, NIU Shooter

This is the first photo emerging of Stephen (we're also seeing it spelled Steven, but NIU announced it as a ph) Kazmierczak, the gunman in yesterday's shootings at NIU.

Reports this morning were that a sixth victim had died, but that apparently was a miscommunication between all the hospitals: five victims and the shooter have died. According to NIU, the victims are

• Daniel Parmenter, age 20, last of Westchester, Ill.
• Catalina Garcia, age 20, last of Cicero, Ill.
• Ryanne Mace, age 19, last of Carpentersville, Ill.
• Julianna Gehant (pronounced Ghee-hant), age 32, last of Mendota, Ill.
• Gayle Dubowski, age 20, last of Carol Stream, Ill.

Kazmierczak had studied criminal justice at NIU and wrote papers about the role of religion in forming early American prisons and studied self-harm among prisoners. He was, by all accounts, a model student. He grew up in Elk Grove.

Over at the Reader, Whet Moser dug up some oldish NIU web stuff from Kazmierczak, including this bio he apparently wrote when he was vice president of NIU's chapter of the American Correctional Association.

VICE-PRESIDENT: Steve Mazmierczak. Steve served as an undergrad teaching aid for Sociology 388 (corrections) and 488 (juvenile delinquency) in spring, 2004. He has strong interests in justice reform and, as an older sociology/criminal justice major, he brings experience and ideas to the group.

My name is Steve Kazmierczak, and I'm a 3rd year student here at NIU. During my sophomore year I served as an aid for the SOCI170 web-board and last semester, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to be a team leader for SOCI488-Juvenile Delinquency. Since attending NIU, I've worked very hard as a student, and I know that I would be able to forth the same effort as an officer of the ACA. I feel that I'm committed to social justice, and if elected as treasurer I promise to serve the NIU chapter of the ACA to the best of my ability.

[Trib, CNN, S-T, other Trib]

Thirteen people injured in shooting at Northern Illinois University

Several people have been shot at Northern Illinois University, according to information heard Thursday afternoon over a police scanner and from eyewitness reports.

University Police posted a message on the school's Web site by 4:14 p.m. saying the gunman was “no longer a threat” and “the immediate danger has passed.” Northern Illinois University police say a gunman who opened fire inside a lecture hall, injuring several people. The Associated Press is reporting that the shooter is dead.

NIU sophomore Zach Seward, 20, was in Room 101 of Cole Hall when the shooting took place. About 90 students were in the class at the time, he said.

A white male in a black hat and black hoodie opened the side door on the stage in the lecture hall, then pulled a shotgun, pumped it and just started firing at people at about 3:05 p.m. Seward said it seemed there were no intended targets.

“I didn't hit it was real. It was just a normal day of lecture hall,” he said.

Seward said he ducked and ran out of the room, thinking that he thought he could get shot in the back.

“You see this kind of stuff on TV and you never think it would happen to you,” he said. “I don't think I could ever go into that classroom again.”

Seward said he later spoke with students who had stayed in the classroom. They told him the shooter later took out a pistol and continued shooting.

Shane Pope, 21, a junior studying in finance, said the shooter “came in the side stage door on the stage where the teacher was talking and unloaded with a shotgun right into the front row. Everybody put their heads down and ran out, and he just kept shooting. ... It was the scariest thing ever. It was right at 3:05 because I was thinking about cutting out of class early to go have a beer - I should have.”

Kishwaukee Community Hospital spokeswoman Sharon Emanuelson said that 13 people from the shooting had been treated at the hospital. Most had gunshot wounds to the head. At least one was airlifted to a hospital in Rockford, and two additional helicopters were waiting on site in case they were needed, Emanuelson said.

The hospital expects 15 to 20 people to come from the shooting, Emanuelson said. No fatalities had been reported by 5 p.m.

Phone lines in DeKalb reportedly were jammed by 4 p.m.

As of 3:45 p.m., two shooting victims were being tended to at nearby Neptune Hall, a student residence hall. Shortly before 4 p.m., another victim was pulled out of Cole Hall, according to eyewitness reports. The northern door to Cole Hall was smashed, according to eyewitness reports.

Police have established a perimeter around Cole Hall, and 15-20 emergency vehicles were in the area.

A Daily Chronicle photographer on the scene reported five people have going by on stretchers. Blood was apparent and obvious, the photographer said.

At least two people are reported down in DuSable Hall, and one person was shot in the head, according to eyewitness reports. It could not be confirmed if it was from a gunshot.

Emergency services personnel have been called in from throughout DeKalb and Kane counties to help with the situation.

A university spokeswoman said at 3:10 p.m. she had just heard about the shooting and could not immediately comment on the situation.

At 3:20 p.m., the university posted a campus alert on its Web site.

“There has been a report of a possible gunman on campus,” the alert read. “Get to a safe area and take precautions until given the all clear. Avoid the King Commons and all buildings in that vicinity.”

Shortly afterward, they posted an announcement that classes were canceled for Thursday night. Authorities reportedly secured the scene as of 3:25 p.m.

At 4:31 p.m., the Web site posted asked all NIU students are asked to call their parents as soon as possible. Classes have been canceled for Friday, according to the university.

Counseling is also available on campus for students at the Neptune Dining Hall, Campus Life Building 100 and the Psychological Services Center in the Psychology/Computer Science Building. Students may go to any residence hall for counseling.