At about 3:10 a.m. Wednesday, students received an NIU text alert warning of an off-campus, fatal shooting that occurred an hour earlier. Students were advised to avoid unnecessary travel because the shooter was still at large.

Sep. 28, the last time NIU experienced an off-campus shooting (though no NIU students were involved), the university was mum for three hours, even as the shooter remained at large.

This time, NIU Today was updated at 6 a.m. to give students the all-clear it was safe, and an all-campus email was sent at about 10 a.m.

This time, even as NIU began an official holiday break Wednesday, the university was timely, informative, and most importantly, quelled students fears about safety as soon as possible. The Northern Star Editorial Board commends NIU for its quick response to this tragic event and its demonstration of a priority to keep students informed in tense situations.

But as the shootings and homicides (even if they are “isolated incidents”) add up, where do we go from here?

In just the past two years, NIU has seen the following: An NIU student shot by an NIU student in the leg outside Stevenson Towers in Spring 2010, the off-campus murder of Antinette “Toni” Keller in Fall 2010, the drive-by shooting of football player Devon Butler in Spring 2011, a non-student shot in the leg 30 feet from campus (the Sep. 28 shooting) and now, a fatal shooting of an NIU student.

A Fall 2010 comparison of Illinois campus crime by the Northern Star showed that in terms of crime like burglaries, drug violations and aggravated assault, NIU has experienced fewer of these crimes per student in recent years compared to peer institutions.

NIU is safe; it just gets a bad rap.

The media is partly to blame. After the Feb. 14, 2008 shootings at Cole Hall, NIU has become “that shooting school.” Large Chicago media organizations now descend on campus whenever any violent crime happens and help kindle the student pessimism growing toward NIU safety. People tend to look for information that reinforces, not contradicts, their beliefs.

Unfortunately, shootings and homicides happen everywhere. But NIU gets an unfair spotlight.

NIU President John Peters has put together a plan called Vision 20/20 to get 30,000 students on campus by 2020. What is unfair to NIU is that a perception it can’t help will hinder that.

But the rise of incidents like those seen on our campus in recent years, whether they are “isolated” or not, is troublesome. Steven Agee II’s death is extremely tragic. As it must do every time a Huskie falls, NIU must move forward, together forward.

At some point, though, we must stop, together and look around.

How can this trend be stopped in its tracks? How can it be reversed? No one has all the answers. If someone did, crime wouldn’t happen.

But while officers may be tasked with assuring the safety of NIU and DeKalb residents, all residents should be just as active in cooperating with the police. This will take a collective effort. NIU is a community and every student, staff and neighboring resident of DeKalb is a part of it. This means the community will have to address these problems with thorough understanding and patience or else NIU’s vision of 2020 will be greatly impaired.

It is disturbing that there exists a “this time” and a “last time” for shootings, even for students spending their first semester on campus this fall. Hopefully, there won’t be a “next time.”