I can't believe what happened today :(

I'm a College student in Illinois. Although I don't go to NIU, I have quite a few friends there and we are all shaken up. As far as I know, my friends are ok. It's such a tragedy of violence. My heart and thoughts go out to the families of the injured and dead.

This is just so sad.

My heart and prayers go out to the victims and their families.

SMR, I immediately thought of you when I heard this terrible news. I am so glad your friends are ok. Another senseless tragedy-- when will it all end?

Why is this happening more and more? It's so sad.

SMR, I'm glad your friends are OK.

Having a son at Va Tech and close ties to the University, my heart and prayers go out to you and everyone touched by this. Take care and God bless you.

:( It's so sad. And so scary. My heart goes out to all those who have been effected.

Soul, I'm glad that your friends are ok.

Thank you for your kind words and support during this tough time. It means a lot to me and many others. We are learning more details about the man who did this and it is a tragedy. I'm not sure what specific mental health issues it was, but they did say he had stopped taking medication for acouple of weeks prior to this.

In an odd way, this reminded me of why I am going into the field of Psychology. As a way to help people who are in pain and suffering so that it does NOT come to this. To be a positive impact on the spirit and mental health of people who see me in the future when I have my degree and start my career as a Psychologist.

There is senseless violence happening to people everyday for different reasons. It is a disturbing trend our society needs to examine and really ponder.

Go hug your family/friends and tell them you love them dearly. You really don't ever know.

My thoughts & prayers to all those affected. Such a sad, horrific tragedy. I truly do not understand what prompts these massacres and acts of violence. Why take someone's life? Yes, SMR, it is a terrifying trend.

You're absolutely right to say it's a disturbing trend. There's been an incredible number of shotings just in this last year, not only in schools, but other public places. It' inconceivable to think about how much we have to tighten up security everywhere. I actually heard someone on the news suggest having students carry guns for protection. That kind of thinking is adding more chaos to the problem. Real solutions need to be addressed so tragedies like this don't continue happening.

So true, Tulee. I got an E-Mail from my College today talking about safety preparedness and knowing what to do in a variety of situations. It is important to be aware of.

It is so sad that someone made a decision to kill and hurt innocent human beings. It's scary that the college students were just going about their everyday lives when their whole worlds changed.

I remember feeling (foolishly) safe while on campus at college. Walked to night classes, hung out outside the dorms with friends, walked to stores off campus, etc. I never even imagined that something like that could happen on our campus back then; definitely not while sitting in class. Now no place is safe from random violence.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all affected.