DeKALB | A shocking assault Saturday and its subsequent aftermath continue to send shock waves throughout campus.

Justin M. Pisellini, a freshman undeclared business major, was hospitalized after suffering broken cheekbones and a broken eye socket after he was attacked by four individuals in front of Grant North, allegedly over a pizza he was carrying. Joseph M. Gnutek, a freshman undeclared business major, and one other individual also were injured in the attack. All have been released from Kishwaukee Community Hospital.

‘I saw the whole thing’

Roman Castillo, a freshman kinesiology major, awoke about 2:30 a.m., when he heard yelling outside his window.

“I saw the whole thing,” Castillo said, who alerted the authorities. “It all happened so fast.”

Castillo said Pisellini was confronted by the offenders on the sidewalk under his Grant Tower C window, facing Stevenson Towers. When he attempted to walk away from the confrontation, Pisellini was struck in the face and knocked out instantly, Castillo said.

“Right when I got to the window, it started to escalate,” he said. “Once he hit the ground, they all started kicking him.”

The four suspects all have been detained and signed confessions, said Melanie Magara, assistant vice president of public affairs.

Sadness and anger

Pisellini’s friends and neighbors were stunned when they learned of the incident.

“I was in shock,” said Jaimie Kaprelian, a freshman textiles, apparel and merchandise major, who sat in the emergency room lobby after the incident. “I didn’t think something like this could happen.”

Students describe Pisellini as a good person and were upset that something like this could happen to him.

“He’s a great guy,” said Brittany Hope, a freshman pre-early childhood studies major. “It hurts to know that something so stupid happened for no reason.”

“They didn’t need to go as far as they did,” said Laura Andrews, a freshman kinesiology major. “Whatever was going on in their minds when they did this, I feel bad that they can have minds that messed up, to hurt someone so badly for no reason.”

Kristina Scalfano, a freshman undeclared health and humanities major, lives on Pisellini’s floor in Grant B, where she says the mood has been somber.

“We’re all so sad; we hope he gets better,” she said. “It was hard. I’m with him all the time on my floor.”

Though emotions have covered several spectrums for Pisellini’s friends, all said they believe the actions of the offenders were tremendously out of line.

“It makes me angry, and it makes our school look bad,” Scalfano said. “Some of those people didn’t even go to school here. It was our Homecoming, and they ruined it. Why would you invite someone to do that?”