Students, faculty and staff at Michigan State University are still easing back into normal operations following the mass shooting on Feb. 13 that killed three students and left five more injured.
Classes resumed at MSU on Monday, exactly one week after the shooting. The return to the classroom has been met with mixed emotions, and the university made counselors and listening sessions available to those still grieving. Classes that were held in Berkey Hall, where two killed were killed and five were injured, have been moved to alternate locations. Berkey and the Student Union, the site of the third killing, are closed at least the rest of the semester. Campuswide, faculty have been encouraged to modify sylllabi, arrange hybrid classes and change paper deadlines if needed, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Hundreds of MSU students skipped class Monday to protest against gun violence at the state Capitol to demand accountability on the issue from lawmakers.
Officials at E.W. Sparrow Hospital confirmed Monday that three of the five students injured in the shooting are no longer in critical condition. One student remains in the hospital in fair condition, and two are in serious but stable condition.
The identities of the injured students have not been officially confirmed, but at least two have been identified.
Guadalupe Huapilla-Perez was identified as one of the injured students through a GoFundMe page created by her sister, Selena. She wrote in an update on the page Monday that her sister was making “slow and steady progress” after undergoing major surgery for two bullet wounds. The page has received more than $457,000 as of Tuesday morning.
Another GoFundMe was set up for international student John Hao, 20, from China, who was paralyzed from the chest down. His longtime roommate Argent Qian, who set up the page, wrote that Hao is no longer intubated. The page has raised over $350,000.
Interim President Teresa Woodruff announced on Sunday that MSU will cover medical costs for the five injured students and funeral costs for Brian Fraser, 20, Alexandria Verner, 20, and Arielle Anderson, 19. Coverage will be provided through the Spartan Strong Fund, which has raised over $250,000, Bridge Michigan has reported.
The shooter, identified as Anthony McRae, 43, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being confronted by police on the night of the shooting. He was found with two handguns, several magazines of 9mm ammunition and a bag containing 50 rounds of loose ammunition, authorities said Thursday. The motive for the shooting is still unclear, and he also had two pages of notes that made various threats to a church, a New Jersey school district and some businesses, including Meijer, which he had connections to.
Police have stated that he acted alone and did not have any connection to the university or the victims.
“It appears based on the content of the note that he felt he was slighted in some way by people or businesses,” MSU Interim Deputy Police Chief Chris Rozman said at the conference. “Did a mental health issue amplify that or was it a component of that? We’re not sure at this point. We’re working our best to try to determine that as best as possible.”
McRae, who was from Lansing, faced a charge for illegally carrying a concealed weapon in 2019, but he was allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to 12 months’ probation. Former Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon, who resigned in December, defended the plea deal, saying it was “standard.”
MSU has received an outpouring of support from around the country, and students got together for various vigils, protests and fundraisers throughout the week.
“Spartan Sunday” may have been the largest of them all, bringing thousands of people and more than 100 businesses to campus to show their support. Volunteers came to help clean up campus and brought everything from flowers and cards to emotional support dogs for MSU students.
Ink Therapy Lansing, a local tattoo shop, saw more than 500 people come in Sunday to get “Spartan Strong” tattoos in an effort that raised north of $3,000 for the victims, according to the Lansing State Journal.
Spartan basketball returned Saturday after games immediately following the shooting were postponed. The women’s team honored victims at the Breslin Center in an emotional pregame ceremony. Acting coach Dean Lockwood said that he wanted the game to be “a healing event for our community.” The Spartan women fell just short to Maryland, 66-61.
It was an equally emotional scene at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor as the Spartan men faced rival Michigan. They held a moment of silence and lit the arena up green before the game. Coach Tom Izzo commended Michigan’s effort to honor the victims after the game, which Michigan won, 84-72.
Since the shooting, Democratic state lawmakers have continued their push for more gun laws, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer supports. On Thursday, Democratic senators introduced an 11-bill package that includes requiring criminal background checks for firearm purchases, safe storage laws and red-flag laws.
Some gun-ownership advocates are already pushing back against the legislation. Brandon Boudreau, executive director of Great Lakes Gun Rights, said on Michigan Radio on Monday that the group would launch recall campaigns against vulnerable Democratic lawmakers who vote for the gun reform package. State Democrats hold a 20-18 majority in the Senate and an equally thin 56-54 majority in the House.
In Eaton County, the Republican majority on the Board of Commissioners rejected a resolution condemning gun violence and supporting stricter laws. Democratic Commissioner Jacob Toomey, a 20-year-old MSU student from Dimondale, introduced the measure. All eight Republican members voted no and all seven Democrats voted for it.
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