Tragedy at Northern Illinois University

In a scene that has become all too familiar, a gunman entered a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and opened fire. The last reports I saw indicated that 6 people, including the shooter, had died. This follows a number of other shootings - February 8 in Louisiana and February 11 in Memphis - that were mentioned in the national media and somehow seem to have vanished from the national consciousness.

I wish I understood why such violence has become so commonplace. I wish I knew why such things take place in America more than in other countries. I wish I knew how we, as a people, could guarantee such a tragedy would never happen again, but I fear that it will. I wish I understood how such tragedies can fade so quickly from our awareness. What does any of this say about us as a people?

Join with me, please, in offering prayers for the families of these who have died.

UPDATE - This morning's news reports said one more of the shooting victims died. Info about the shooter - a 27 year old graduate of NIU with no history of behavior that would indicate something like this - is coming out. Accounts of students inside the lecture hall indicate that the shooter reloaded.

With so many readily accessible public places in the US - malls, parks, schools, concert halls, theaters - that have no or little security, what are reasonable choices for gun control, plans for communication to alert people to such situations, and security that we, as a people, should consider?