A former graduate student armed with two handguns and a shotgun opened fire Thursday in a large lecture hall on the campus of Northern Illinois University, killing five students and wounding 16 others before killing himself, authorities said. University President John G. Peters said six students - four women, the shooter and another man - were killed in what he described as a “very brief, rapid-fire assault.” Sixteen other students were injured by bullet wounds or flying glass, authorities said. All of the victims were students, including the shooter and the instructor, a graduate teaching assistant, who survived, Peters said. Two of the survivors were in critical condition Thursday night. The gunman, who was not identified, was a former graduate student at NIU but had since enrolled at another college, Peters said. None of the victims were identified pending notification of their families. University Police Chief Donald Grady said police knew of no motive for the shooting, which occurred about 4 p.m. ET on the stage in Cole Hall.
