The tolling of a lone bell could be heard across the campus at NIU as students and family members of the five victims gathered to hear remarks from Gov. Pat Quinn and NIU President John Peters. Ahead of the remarks, the families of Catalina Garcia, Daniel Parmenter, Gayle Dubowski, Julianna Gehant and Ryanne Mace laid wreathes at the memorial just outside of Cole Hall, where the shooting took place.
“Five years ago we lost five innocent souls in a tragedy that shook our state and our nation,” Quinn said. “That dark day was full of sadness, fear and despair and we will never forget.”
Peters, who is retiring this year, told the crowd that life on campus hasn’t been the same since the tragic day. “What happened in Cole Hall five years ago forever changed Northern,” Peters said. “It taught us lessons that have transformed what it means to be a Husky.”
Once a lecture hall, Cole Hall has since been remodeled and now has three modern collaborative-learning areas.
(posted 6:25 p.m. 02/14/2013 by Alex Degman)