Presbytery Disaster Assistance Response to Illinois Shooting February 15, 2008

PDA is sending members of the PDA National Response Team (NRT) to DeKalb, Illinois, at the request of Executive Presbyter John Rickard of the Blackhawk Presbytery. NRT members are going to assist the presbytery and churches in the DeKalb area in their response to the shooting at Northern Illinois University.

A former graduate student at NIU opened fire in an auditorium style classroom Thursday. At the time of this posting, seven people are dead and 15 are wounded, some seriously.

NRT members the Reverend Laurie Kraus, Helen Robinson and Rick Turner have advanced training and experience in responding to traumatic situations. They will offer support to church leadership in this response.

Northern Illinois University sent a volunteer work team to

the Houma, Louisiana, Presbyterian Volunteer Village "Good Earth" the first week in January to continue the efforts of the denomination in helping families rebuild their lives in wake of the 2005 hurricanes.

Please keep the injured, the loved ones of those killed and injured and the residents of the DeKalb community in your prayers, as well as the PDA volunteers and other caregivers.