Ryanne Mace, 19, of Carpentersville, Illinois, was killed on February 14, 2008, in the mass shooting at Northern Illinois University’s Cole Hall in DeKalb. A sophomore studying psychology, she was one of five students shot during a lecture; the shooter fired a shotgun and two handguns. Ryanne was born May 13, 1988, in Evanston and was the only child of Eric and Mary Kay Mace. Her family described her as beautiful, brilliant, caring, and intent on becoming a counselor to help others.

The attacker had a history of mental health issues and had previously been a student at NIU; investigators reported he had stopped taking his medication before the incident. No other arrests or suspects were named. Ryanne’s death helped focus discussions about campus safety, mental health, and gun policy. Does anyone have memories of Ryanne or information about her time at NIU to share?