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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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NIU Gunman Had Stopped Taking Meds

Honor student's behavior 'somewhat erratic' before shooting

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(Newser) – The gunman who killed five and wounded 15 in a Northern Illinois University lecture hall yesterday was identified this morning as Steven Kazmierczak, an ex-NIU grad student who had won top sociology department honors, the Chicago Tribune reports. "There were no red flags," said the campus police chief. But police said this morning he had recently stopped taking regular medication and had been behaving erratically.

The police chief described Kazmierczak as "revered by faculty and students alike." Under the tutelage of a prominent criminal-justice expert, the 27-year-old had done well-regarded research on prison systems. The shotgun and one of three handguns he used in the shootings were legally purchased 6 days ago from a dealer in Champaign, where he was enrolled as a grad student at the University of Illinois.

Flowers, candles, and small notes sit in the snow Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, on the campus of Northern Illinois University near Cole Hall, the scene where a lone gunman shot and killed six Thursday on the NIU in DeKalb, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Flowers, candles, and small notes sit in the snow Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, on the campus of Northern Illinois University near Cole Hall, the scene where a lone gunman shot and killed six Thursday on the...   (Associated Press)
Sorority members of Northern Illinois University participate in a candlelight vigil early Friday Feb. 15, 2008 for Dan Parmenter one of the five victims of the NIU shooting in DeKalb, Ill.,. A former student dressed in black walked onto the stage of a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and...
Sorority members of Northern Illinois University participate in a candlelight vigil early Friday Feb. 15, 2008 for Dan Parmenter one of the five victims of the NIU shooting in DeKalb, Ill.,. A former...   (Associated Press)
A parking lot near Cole Hall on the campus of Northern Illinois University became a staging area for emergency personnel who responded to a shooting at the DeKalb campus Thursday Feb. 14, 2008. A man opened fire with a shotgun and a handgun wounding several people at Northern Illinois University...
A parking lot near Cole Hall on the campus of Northern Illinois University became a staging area for emergency personnel who responded to a shooting at the DeKalb campus Thursday Feb. 14, 2008. A man...   (Associated Press)
Paramedics rush a victim to a waiting ambulance following a shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., on Thursday Feb. 14, 2008. A man opened fire with a shotgun and a handgun wounding several people at Northern Illinois University Thursday afternoon before apparently killing himself, authorities said. (AP Photo/Daily-Chronicle....
Paramedics rush a victim to a waiting ambulance following a shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., on Thursday Feb. 14, 2008. A man opened fire with a shotgun and a handgun wounding...   (Associated Press)
An apparent shooting victim is treated for injuries on the Northern Illinois University campus Thursday afternoon Feb. 14, 2008. A man opened fire with a shotgun and a handgun wounding several people at Northern Illinois University Thursday afternoon before apparently killing himself, authorities said. (AP Photo/Daily-Chronicle.com, Kate Weber) MANDATORY...
An apparent shooting victim is treated for injuries on the Northern Illinois University campus Thursday afternoon Feb. 14, 2008. A man opened fire with a shotgun and a handgun wounding several people...   (Associated Press)
Graphic shows campus map of Northern Illinois Univ.; 2c x 2 3/4 inches; 96.3 mm x 69.9 mm
Graphic shows campus map of Northern Illinois Univ.; 2c x 2 3/4 inches; 96.3 mm x 69.9 mm   (Associated Press)
In this photo released Feb. 15, 2008, by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is Steven Kazmierczak who was identified by Florida authorities and a university official familiar with the investigation as the gunman who killed six people at Northern Illinois University.(AP Photo/University of Illinois)
In this photo released Feb. 15, 2008, by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is Steven Kazmierczak who was identified by Florida authorities and a university official familiar with the investigation...   (Associated Press)
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