GUNMAN OPENS FIRE AT UNIVERSITY IN DEKALB, ILL.; LOCAL HOSPITAL REPORTS 3 TO 4 VICTIMS WITH HEAD WOUNDS, WITH MORE ARRIVALS EXPECTED

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As many as 20 people were reportedly shot after a gunman opened fire in a classroom at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., according to local police and university sources.

Details remain sketchy, but at least two and as many as 20 people may have been injured by the gunman, and several people were taken away by ambulance. The gunman, who reportedly opened fire on students in a lecture hall, is believed to have been wearing a ski mask and carrying a pistol and shotgun.

Several reports suggest the gunman is now dead, and DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said it was possible the assailant may have taken his own life, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Northern Illinois University police say the gunman is "no longer a threat" and "the immediate danger has passed," according to the Associated Press.

Kishwaukee Community Hospital's Web site reported that three to four victims with head wounds have arrived, and up to 15 total victims were arriving.

Two more individuals were reportedly being taken to St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockville, IL, according to that hospital's website.

At 3:20 p.m. local time, the university posted an alert on its Web site warning students of a possible shooter.

"Get to a safe area and take precautions until given the all clear. Avoid the King Commons and all buildings in that vicinity," the Web site posting read.

Thirty minutes later the site confirmed the shooting and said "several people" had been taken away by ambulance. In December, the campus was closed for a day following a threat referencing last April's Virginia Tech massacre, in which more than 30 people were killed, according to the Northern Star.

Police have established a perimeter around Cole Hall, and 15 to 20 emergency vehicles were in the area, reported the local newspaper, the Daily Chronicle.