Story by News Editor Ellie Youngs

On Monday, February 13, three students were killed and five were injured in a mass shooting that occurred at Michigan State University. The first call of an active shooter took place at 8:18 at Berkey Hall where two students were shot and killed. The deceased victims of this shooting were identified as Arielle Anderson, a junior from Grosse Pointe, Brian Fraser, a sophomore from Grosse Pointe, and Alexandria Verner, a junior.

The police have since identified the suspect to be 43 year-old man, Anthony Dwayne McRae; the suspect is not affiliated with the University and police are still unsure of a motive. 

The unfortunate truth is that this occurrence is becoming almost a routine. The mass shooting at Michigan State University is one of 72 mass shootings that has occurred in the year 2023 alone– that is more than one shooting per day. This shooting took place on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Parkland shooting that killed 14 students and three teachers. For multiple Michigan State students, this is not the first mass shooting they have been forced to endure either; several of these students have lived through the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, the Parkland shooting, and most recently, the Oxford school shooting. Andrea Ferguson, an Oxford mother whose daughter survived the Oxford shooting and is now a student at MSU explained how “it was like reliving Oxford all over again… The phone call, the word shooting, shooter, it was surreal.” A plethora of other students have taken to social media platforms such as Tik Tok and Instagram to share their experiences after surviving not only the shooting at MSU, but Sandy Hook and Oxford as well. Michigan State senior Jackie Matthews was just 11 years old when a gunman invaded Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 20 first graders and six teachers. “Something so traumatic is devastating no matter what age you are,” she said. 

Students from various different schools are showing solidarity with Michigan State, and Aquinas college will do so as well. On Monday, February 20, at 12:15 pm Aquinas College will be hosting a march through campus to show its solidarity with MSU, and the march will be followed by a town-hall meeting where students will be able to raise questions and concerns to leaders at Aquinas. 

It should also be known that there are resources available on campus for students to utilize to help process the tragedy that has happened. If needed, please reach out to the Counseling Health and Wellness Center.