NIU officials are stressing that now is a time to grieve.

“We’re advising students to remain calm and seek counseling and other support services that are being offered at various locations,” said NIU president John Peters. “All of our personnel have spread out through the campus to help students. We’ve asked them to reach out to each other in this difficult time. They’re doing that. I’m proud of them.”

As of Thursday night, students seeking grief counseling can go to Grant Towers North (C/D) Lounge, Neptune Dining, Stevenson Multipurpose Room or Psychological Services Center in the Psychology/Computer Science Building.

“We have 10 counselors in each location working and talking with students,” said Brian Hemphill, vice president of Student Affairs. “We need to advertise those locations for students to be able to go to and be able to connect with individuals around this unfortunate incident.”

Hemphill also said community advisers and other counselors are walking around residence halls and knocking door–to–door, checking on students.

“We’re going to keep this going as long as we need to,” Hemphill said. “We also have a phone bank, seven lines, going right now. We’ll be answering those for the next 48 hours.”

NIU officials, including Hemphill and Peters, met with students Thursday night to help with the grief process. Peters said he will do all he can to help the NIU community as it grieves.

“When I’m through [with this press conference], I’m going to be in the process of talking to students and helping them personally,” Peters said. “And they’ll help me through this.”

Peters said he wants all of the NIU family to know his thoughts and prayers are with them.

As for a memorial service, Hemphill said NIU is working toward one, but does not know the exact details.

“We’re working on [the memorial]. We don’t have anything that we can release at this point,” Hemphill said.

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