NIU shooting update: Victim shot in leg, injuries not life-threatening; suspect’s motive not known

By Brandon Reid
Assistant Editor

DEKALB, Ill.—At 3:29 a.m., Friday, Feb. 19, an off-campus male student at Northern Illinois University (NIU) allegedly shot another NIU male student in the leg outside of Stevenson North Residence Hall, NIU President John G. Peters said during a press conference. The student who was shot is a resident of Stevenson, and the injuries sustained from the shooting are not believed to be life-threatening.

Following the shooting, the suspect fled on foot. Officers arrived on the scene 47 seconds after the shooting. By 3:34 a.m.—five minutes after the shooting—the suspect was apprehended.

Police are not releasing the name of the suspect and are not yet aware of the motive. However, according to an article in the Northern Star student newspaper at NIU, at least one witness has alleged the two students were arguing about “something stupid.” Click here to read the Northern Star report.

Emergency responders from the DeKalb Fire Department were on the scene to treat the victim by 3:36 a.m., and the victim was transported to Kishwaukee Community Hospital in DeKalb.

At 3:48 a.m., NIU Police activated the text alert messaging system, which went out to approximately 12,000 subscribers. The text alert indicated there had been a shooting on campus and that a suspect had been apprehended. At 4:30 a.m., a similar message was posted to the NIU Web site. A more detailed statement was added to the Web site at 5:03 a.m., indicating the campus was open and that classes and activities would continue as scheduled.

Students who would like to talk with a counselor regarding the shooting are encouraged to visit the Counseling and Student Development Center, 200 Campus Life Building, for a walk-in appointment. Students can contact the center by calling (815) 753-1206.

The university is advising people to proceed with caution around the NIU campus for the remainder of the day and to report any suspicious activity to NIU Police by calling (815) 753-1212.

For the latest campus alerts from NIU regarding the shooting, click here.