EAST LANSING (WWJ) — Tuesday, Feb. 13 marks the one-year anniversary of the Michigan State University shooting that claimed the lives of three students and left five others severely injured.
With no classes on the 13th, Tuesday will be a day of reflection, culminating with a community remembrance near the Spartan Statue on campus that evening. The event will run 7:30-9:30 p.m.
There will be five reflective spaces on campus open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, while the Alumni Chapel will be open until 8 p.m.
The Healing Through Kindness and Service event, running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday “provides a space for the MSU community to come together both on and off campus on the anniversary” of the shooting".
Kindness activities include writing notes of support and gift-making to keep personally or share with others. Service activities include packaging supply kits for K-12 students and families for Lansing and East Lansing Public Schools, Edgewood Village and the MSU Student Parent Resource Center, and decorating brown sack lunch bags for Kids Food Basket.
Elsewhere, Spartans across the world are invited to join in on lighting a luminary Tuesday at 8 p.m. Luminaries have been shared with alumni chapters across the country and can be picked up while supplies last on the main MSU campus or throughout the East Lansing community until Tuesday.
A full schedule of remembrance activities can be found on the MSU.edu website.
Dr. Norman Beauchamp, MSU's Executive Vice President for Health Services, has been heavily involved in the planning of this week’s anniversary remembrance.
“What we’ve really focused on is every student, staff member, family member needs to have the space to react to this time as they see best,” Beauchamp said live on WWJ Sunday afternoon. “Some will be more comfortable being away from campus. Others will want to be on campus and be a part of the moments of reflection.”
Beauchamp says MSU is a safe campus and a place where those who need it will be able to find support as they reflect on the deadly shooting that prompted a massive police response, lockdown and manhunt.
The Feb. 13 shooting, carried out by 43-year-old Anthony McRae, had no definitive motive, police said in an earlier investigation.
All three shooting victims were identified as Metro Detroit natives, Arielle Anderson, 19, junior from Gross Pointe; Brian Fraser, 20, a sophomore from Grosse Pointe; and Alexandria Verner, 20, a junior from Clawson.
Monday morning, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered U.S. and Michigan flags within the State Capitol Complex and on public buildings and grounds across the state of Michigan to be lowered to half-staff on Tuesday, to honor and remember the students who lost their lives in the shooting.
"A year ago today, every Spartan’s heart stood still as our community was shattered by a devastating act of gun violence," said Whitmer, in a statement. "Today we honor the memories of those we lost and hold each other close as we continue to grieve and process. We are—and always will be—Spartan Strong, but days like today are hard for everyone. I encourage us all to give each other some grace and be there for one another. We will get through this together.”