NIU marks 10th anniversary of deadly campus shooting

(Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

DEKALB, Ill. (AP) - Hundreds of people gathered at a memorial garden at Northern Illinois University to mark the tenth anniversary of a shooting that left five students dead.

The garden in DeKalb features memorial stones for victims Gayle Dubowski, Catalina Garcia, Julianna Gehant, Ryanne Mace and Daniel Parmenter. Seventeen others were injured in the gunfire on Feb. 14, 2008 before the shooter took his own life.

The victims' families and friends walked to the garden Wednesday, as the crowd stood silently watching. Those who led the group paused at each memorial stone before reaching their relative's name. They then laid the wreaths.

NIU head football coach Rod Carey stood with his assistant coach, Melvin Rice, before the ceremony began. Carey said he attended the remembrance to honor the five and their families. He added that he respected how the NIU community came together then and continues to do so 10 years later.