SPRINGFIELD - The deadly shootings at Northern Illinois University are unlikely to trigger major changes in the state's gun control laws, Illinois officials predicted Friday.

Democratic and Republican members of the Illinois House said state-level reaction to the rampage would more likely focus on assessing whether emergency communications systems could be improved and whether funding could be made available to pay for any upgrades.

"I don't think this is going to produce a knee-jerk reaction in terms of gun laws," said state Rep. David Miller, a Lynwood Democrat.

State Rep. Rich Myers, R-Colchester, whose district includes Western Illinois University, said more gun laws aren't the solution.

"It was the individual, not the gun," Myers said.

The discussion of gun laws came a day after an armed gunman opened fire on students attending a lecture at NIU in DeKalb. The shooter, Stephen Kazmierczak, took five lives and his own in an attack that lasted less than a minute.

On Friday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich ordered state and U.S. flags to be lowered to half staff and traveled to DeKalb to discuss the incident with university and emergency officials. Senior advisers spoke with university presidents Thursday evening and then briefed state lawmakers Friday.

In the Illinois House, the Rev. David Coyle, pastor of the Averyville Baptist Church in East Peoria, noted the tragedy in Friday's opening prayer.

"Our hearts and minds are heavy today because of the tragedy in Northern Illinois," Coyle said.

State Rep. Mike Fortner, a Republican from West Chicago, called on his colleagues to observe a moment of silence to honor the victims.

Fortner is an associate professor at NIU and said he often walks near the lecture hall where the shooting occurred.

"This hits me particularly hard," Fortner said.

Following last year's deadly attacks at Virginia Tech, there were rumblings in Springfield about toughening state gun laws, but no major legislation emerged in reaction to that event.

State Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, said he doesn't believe the incident will result in tougher gun laws.

"I don't see any changes. We've seen other tragedies that do happen. We haven't had any changes in gun laws in 25 years, even though we've had a number of tragedies," Mautino said.

State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, whose district includes Illinois State University, is concerned about gaps in emergency radio communication systems in McLean County. He said those gaps must be addressed.

Brady also wants a joint hearing of the House higher education committee and the House Homeland Security Committee to discuss ways to improve campus security.

"We want to make sure we can all communicate during emergencies," Brady said. "We can't prevent everything. On the other hand, we can be as prepared as possible."

Miller said he hopes to hold hearings in the coming weeks that would assess campus security and possibly earmark money for improvements.

"We really need to look at security needs," Miller said. "It's a high priority."

Kurt Erickson can be reached at kurt.erickson@lee.net or 789-0865.