Moment of silence to be held to honor Feb. 14, 2008, shooting victims
Loved ones of the five victims of the Feb. 14, 2008, shootings put roses on the Cole Hall memorial during the wreath-laying ceremony in 2013.
January 28, 2015
A moment of silence will be held for the victims of the Feb. 14, 2008, shooting, on that date this year, according to an NIU Today news release.
The tolling of five bells will occur at 3:06 p.m., according to the release, in remembrance of the five students who lost their lives in 2008 when gunman Steven Kazmierczak killed five students before shooting himself in Cole Hall.
In years past, a wreath-laying ceremony to honor the victims drew in hundreds to hear speeches from the governor and university president. NIU scaled that down to the moment of silence last year to reflect “the continued healing of our campus community, while still ensuring that Gayle, Catalina, Julianna, Ryanne and Daniel are not forgotten,” according to an NIU announcement at the time.
Despite the lack of ceremony in 2014, dozens gathered at a memorial in front of Cole Hall to honor victims Catalina Garcia, Julianna Gehant, Ryanne Mace, Daniel Parmenter and Gayle Dubowski.