Stephen Phillip “Steve” Kazmierczak (1980-2008) was the mastermind behind the killing at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois on February 14, 2008. He graduated from the university in 2006, and had been enrolled as a graduate student at UI Urbana-Champaign since the spring of 2007. He was 27 when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after killing five and causing life threatening bodily injury to sixteen other people.

He had received the Dean’s Award from NIU in 2006 and was considered a stand-out, well received student. Campus police describe him as a fairly normal and unstressed person. Faculty, students and staff revered him and there was no inciation of any trouble. Kazmierczak was VP of the NIU Academic Criminal Justice Association in 2005 and had written on the U.S. prison system. He was described as hardworking and gentle.

“I knew Steve both as an undergraduate and as a graduate student. I have had him in my home. I knew him as a warm, sensitive, very bright student,” said Professor Kristen Myers in an e-mail. “I never would believe that he could do this. I know that when these horrible things happen, everyone searches for roots to explain it. Here, I’m afraid I don’t have any.”

Check out seven photos after the jump.

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