Where are heroes when we need them?

My daughter called me right before 4 p.m. and said "Dad, put on Channel 2, there's been a mass shooting at Northern."

I am numb, stunned and crying inside. I just put my NIU Huskie flag out in front of the garage. My wife went to work wearing her NIU Huskie Marching Band polo shirt. This hurts, so close to home.

We know the campus environment, the joy and good times we have had. NIU is a great school in a wonderful Midwest farm town right in our back yard.

It does not seem like it's enough to say our hearts, our thoughts and prayers go out to all personally experiencing this senseless tragedy. For now, we pull together with the NIU community and show our love and support in simple ways.

I'll wear red while I try to sort this out. What's on my mind is where are the heroes when these things happen? If I had been in that room, I would have rushed the gunman, knocked him on his rear, even if it cost me my life doing so.

When he stopped to reload, I would not have grabbed my cell phone and text messaged my parents or the police. I would have yelled for the help of the football players and big kids in class to help me subdue that person.

Do whatever it takes to help save the lives of others. These situations always end up with the final shot to the troubled killer himself. They totally control the whole scenario right down to their own end. They won and got what they wanted.

Now it's the aftermath and we ask why, what could have been done differently. Probably not much. Where are the heroes when we need them?

Gary A. Lichthardt

Elgin