NIU Shooting

[Jon Brakel]

Scary Mike's niece, Ryanne Mace, was one of the victims of the NIU shootings. She died, probably instantly, at the scene. She was sitting in the first row. Mike and I were playing COD4 online last night when his ex-wife kept calling him. He said "I guess I should pick up on the next call or call her back to find out what she wants."

They did not know at that time that Ryanne was already dead. They didn't find that out for sure until 2am. But they were thinking the worst since the shooting took place in the afternoon and at the time Mike's ex called they had not heard from her (it was 10:30pm) and they knew it was her class. I only met Ryanne a couple of times, but she was a good kid.

It would be better if suicide shooters shot in the opposite order. Sometimes the hardest thing to do in this world is to live in it...but people need not take others out with them if they choose to stop living it.

It was really weird to have this unfold while we were playing COD4 and shooting each other. Kinda surreal.

Article on Ryanne: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/796552,021508mace.article

[Mike Clark]

So sad. I am trying to think of something to say and all I can do is sit here and shake my head from side to side. What a horrible and senseless act of cowardice.

edited because I can not spell.

[Mukey]

I wish people who commit suicide & try to take others with them would just self-immolate. It takes conviction to sit there & burn. Killing other people is beyond cowardice. My heartfelt sympathies go out to those families affected.

[Dan Michler]

My sincere sympathies go out to anybody who was affected by the tragedy.

[skipache]

I feel bad for anyone this affected....but i have to think
is there anything stopping this from happening again..anywhere?

[pickax]

No. It's called the depravity of man.

[Jon Brakel]

For those that know MaceMan, Ryanne is MaceMan's second cousin. That's the news from the small world department...

[stpitner]

Ryanne was class of '06 from Dundee Crown High School.  My brother was class of '07.  He didn't know her though.  When it came to college selection he went to UofI instead of NIU like my other brother did.  Tough to see a life snuffed out like that.  Her family lives in the town just south of mine.  A sad day.

[ChiBlender36]

very sad.  I go to NIU and it didn't really hit me until I walked around main campus on saturday and saw the crosses lined up.  It seems that everyone that i've talked to seems to know someone in the class.  tragic and i still cannot believe it happened to my school...very sad and still in shock.  my continued prayers go out to those involved. 

[SIUFrolf]

I didn't even know it had happened until I arrived at my second job at CLTV and even then I was in shock.  I have a lot of friends and family who either go to NIU or live in the town.  I couldn't believe it. It really hit me emotionally that night when I saw Tom Skilling do his newscast.  At the end he just broke down on live television  (One of his interns had gotten some buckshot to the neck).  That hit me hard.  A lot of people have been affected by this and it's going to take a while to get back to "normal"