Bio

Steven Phillip Kazmierczak was born on August 26, 1980, in Illinois. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs and later attended Northern Illinois University, where he studied sociology. He was described as academically successful and had been recognized as a strong student.

Kazmierczak graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2006. He later attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied social work. At the time of the shooting, he was a graduate student there and was no longer enrolled at NIU.

Before the attack, Kazmierczak had a history of mental health treatment. Reports after the shooting stated that he had recently stopped taking prescribed medication and had become more erratic in the weeks leading up to the attack. Investigators did not find a clear public motive for the shooting.

Murder Story

On February 14, 2008, Steven Kazmierczak entered Cole Hall at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. An oceanography class was in session inside a large lecture hall. About 150 to 200 students were present. Kazmierczak entered through a door near the front stage area of the lecture hall. He carried a shotgun hidden in a guitar case and also had handguns with him. He opened fire on the students in the classroom. The attack lasted only a few minutes, from about 3:05 p.m. to 3:11 p.m.

Kazmierczak used a shotgun and handguns during the attack. Police later identified the weapons as including a shotgun, a Glock 9mm handgun, a SIG Sauer pistol, and a Hi-Point pistol. He fired into the crowded lecture hall, killing five students and injuring many others.

The five murdered students were Catalina Garcia, Julianna Gehant, Ryanne Mace, Gayle Dubowski, and Daniel Parmenter. The FBI reported that three victims died at the scene, while two others were taken for medical treatment and later died.

After the shooting, Kazmierczak killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound before police reached him. The campus was locked down, classes were canceled, and NIU later held memorials for the victims. The university’s official report recorded five student deaths and multiple injuries from the attack.