Obituaries
NIU Plans Vigil For Student, Grad Slain In Aurora Shooting
Students, staff, and community members will pay tribute to Trevor Wehner and Clayton Parks.
DEKALB, IL -- Northern Illinois University is sadly no stranger to tragedy. 11 years and one day after a gunman killed five victims at NIU, two of NIU's own were slain in a mass shooting in Aurora Friday. The school plans to honor the memories of student Trevor Wehner, 21, and 2014 graduate Clayton Parks, in a vigil entitled Standing with Aurora: Honoring Our Huskies on Feb. 21.
Wehner, who was set to graduate from NIU in spring, was killed on his first day as a human relations intern at Pratt Manufacturing. Parks had just celebrated his one-year anniversary as a human resources manager at Pratt in November. Both were among the five people gunned down by an employee who had just learned he was being fired from the plant.
After news broke of the deaths of Parks and Wehner, NIU issued a statement saying, "Loss like this is devastating and senseless. I ask our university community to please keep the Wehner and Parks families, friends and communities in your hearts and offer them caring thoughts."
Find out what's happening in Aurorafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Lauren Carr, a survivors of the Feb. 14, 2008, shooting at NIU spoke at a vigil held Sunday outside of Henry Pratt Manufacturing to honor those slain in Aurora.
"I just thought, 'not again,'" Carr said. "11 years have gone by and it keeps happening."
Find out what's happening in Aurorafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
What: Standing with Aurora: Honoring Our Huskies Vigil
When: Feb. 21 at 5 p.m.
Where: Holmes Student Center Regency Room, 600 Lucinda Ave., DeKalb
Read more:
- Snowy Vigil Honors Aurora Shooting Victims 'Stolen Too Soon'
- 'I Love You; I've Been Shot At Work,' Aurora Victim Texted Wife
- 'Our City Will Never Be Whole Again:' Aurora Chief After Shooting
- State Police Investigate Why Aurora Shooter Still Had Gun
- Nearly All Injured Aurora Cops Home After Deadly Shooting
- Aurora Police Flooded With Handmade Cards, Food After Shooting
- Aurora Mass Shooting: Victims' Names, Info On Shooter Released
- Aurora Mass Shooting: Six Dead; Cops Wounded
- Aurora Gunman 'Not Supposed To Possess A Firearm:' Cops
- Trump, Gabby Giffords, More Respond To 'Horrific' Aurora Shooting
- GoFundMe Created For Families Of Aurora Shooting Victims
- Vigils Planned For Victims Of Aurora Shooting
- NIU Student, Graduate Slain In Aurora Shooting
Image credit: Trevor Wehner image via City of Aurora; Clayton Parks image via GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner
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