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On Monday, February 13, a shooting at Michigan State University left at least 1 dead and 5 wounded in what Michigan authorities have described as an active shooter incident.
As per NPR, authorities have not identified the suspect, and they may still be at large somewhere across the 5300-acre campus. As a result, all campus activities have been canceled for 48 hours, and police have requested all students to stay indoors.
According to the New York Post, the suspect is believed to be a short man in red shoes and a denim jacket. They were last seen leaving from the North side of the MSU Union building. Michigan State University spokesperson said that the 5 surviving victims of the shooting are currently being treated at Sparrow hospital.
Surviving students at Michigan State University describe their ordeal
In an interview with CNN, Michigan State University student Nithya Charles spoke to reporters while hiding in the lounge area of Campbell hall.
Charles said:
"We're not learning very much so much. Everyone is obviously kind of stressed, but seems to be calm now."
Gabe Truetel, a freshman, said he and his fellow students are listening to police scanners. He said that he did not hear any gunshots himself.
Truetel said:
“(ten minutes after the first police report) there was a report that there was a shot fired (at another dorm) about a block away."
At a Monday night press release, interim Deputy Police Chief Chris Rozman warned students against following misleading online reports about the incident.
Gun violence in America
In an official statement addressing the Michigan State University shooting, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson condemned the gun violence, saying that radical measures need to be taken to avoid such incidents in the future.
Benson said:
"Holding the entire MSU community in my heart. This repetitive terror cannot continue. We must come together and do whatever it takes to protect our kids & communities from gun violence."
Last year, the gun violence archive recorded 647 shootings, leaving 44,287 people dead. This year, there is no sign of the violence abating. According to WNYC studios, as of late January this year, America had already seen almost 40 mass shootings.
Last year, following the massacre at Club Q on November 2022, President Joe Biden described the trend of mass shootings in America as a public health crisis.
Biden said:
"Yet another community in America has been torn apart by gun violence. More families left with an empty chair at the table and hole in their lives that cannot be filled. When will we decide we've had enough? We must address the public health epidemic of gun violence in all of its forms."
Politicians such as Biden have stated that to address the issue, the government must crack down on what has been described as lax gun laws while simultaneously making mental health facilities in the nation more accessible.
