On Monday night, three people were killed and five others were critically injured by a shooter on Michigan State University’s Campus in East Lansing. 

In a statement released by The Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety, a call at 8:18 p.m. first reported an active shooter at Berkey Hall, resulting in an immediate “shelter-in-place” for the campus and surrounding community.

The Michigan State police identified junior Alexandria Verner, sophomore Brian Fraser and junior Arielle Diamond Anderson as the three killed in the shooting. 

A caller tip led officers to the suspect at approximately 11:35 pm. According to the statement, the suspect was identified as 43-year-old Anthony McRae, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot.

All MSU activities, including classes and sporting events, have been canceled for the 48 hours following the incident. 

Dimitri Zimbrakos, a freshman at MSU discussed his reactions and what he was doing when he was alerted that a shooter was on campus. 

“I started hearing ambulances as I was getting off the bus and then texting other people I knew,” Zimbrakos said. 

When Zimbrakos got to his dorm, he and his roommates began listening to the police scanner. 

“It seemed like there were so many reports that he was coming closer to our area so then we barricaded our door, we put our desks in front of it,” Zimbrakos. “We were waiting and then obviously checking the news and seeing what other people were saying.” 

Zimbrakos described the atmosphere as tense because it seemed like no one knew what was actually happening. 

“We were sitting on the floor because people said to stay away from windows,” Zimbrakos. 

Afira, a senior at MSU, was on campus working when the lock down started. Her mom was in another part of campus. The lock-down was until midnight. 

Misinformation spreading online made the wait much harder. Afira got wind of “multiple shooters” and “attacks on dorms” that were not true and heightened her anxieties. 

“I was checking on all my friends, so I was never able to calm down,” Afira said. 

The cops finally started to escort people out of her building, but that didn’t make her feel any less terrified.

“Any time a branch fell or a light (went off) the cops would scream and it would scare us so bad,” Afira said. “I know they were trying to protect us, it was just very scary.”

Classes have been canceled for the week, but she has classes in the same building where the shooting started, where two people died.

“I refuse to go back, I don’t want to go back there at all, I will not feel safe there,” Afira said. “They could tear down the building, and I won’t go back there.” 

In December of 2021, a shooting took place at Oakbrook Center Mall, and the mall went into lockdown. Zimbrakos was there and locked down for a few hours in that mall. 

“I felt like I already experienced something similar to this when it happened,” Zimbrakos said. 

This morning, Chancellor Jones sent out a Massmail expressing sympathy and solidarity with “colleagues and friends in East Lansing.” 

When University student Mayra Cuevas, junior in LAS, heard about a shooting in Michigan, she immediately thought of a friend. 

“When I woke up, I just saw Michigan and University and I immediately started texting my friend because she studies at Michigan, but she goes to a different college,” Cuevas said. “She’s far away enough for it not to directly affect me, (but the situation) made me upset.”

Bethany Lee, sophomore in LAS at the University, said that continued occurrences of gun violence demonstrate the necessity for change. 

“We’ve had so many school shootings … We’ve had so much gun violence and issues with not feeling safe to learn in our own schools,” Lee said. “I feel like that’s really messed up and we need to do something about it.” 

Zimbrakos mentioned the Oxford high school shooting that happened in Michigan in November 2021. 

“There were a lot of (high school) seniors who were involved in (the Oxford Michigan school shooting) that now go to Michigan State,” Zimbrakos said. “There’s a decent amount of kids who’ve been in a school shooting now in the last 14 months … Some people just can’t get away from it.” 

Zeina Ammar, junior in LAS at the University, recognized the Second Amendment’s faults. 

“I firmly believe that the Second Amendment has its flaws,” Ammar said. “I don’t see how we’re putting the right … to bear arms over the lives of people.”

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