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On February 13, 2023, a mass shooting at Michigan State University (MSU) left three students, Alexandria Verner, Brian Fraser, and Arielle Anderson dead. The tragic incident also injured five other individuals at the institute.
As per NBC, gunshots were first reported on the MSU Campus at approximately 8.18 pm, after 43-year-old alleged shooter Anthony McRae entered the premises. He fled the campus after shooting eight students and then turned the gun on himself during a confrontation with Michigan authorities.
CNN reported that the survivors of the shooting are currently in the ICU and are in critical condition. Four of the five victims require surgery, and some of the injuries are considered life-threatening. The names of the surviving victims have not yet been released.
MSU shooting victim Alexandria Verner was an Integrated Biology and Anthropology student
As per The New York Post, 20-year-old Alexandria Verner was a Michigan State University student from Clawson, Michigan. At the time of her death, she was studying Integrated Biology and Anthropology. She was supposed to graduate in 2024. While her mother Nancy taught as an elementary school teacher in Clawson, her father Ted was a treasurer on the school board.
In an official statement released by Clawson High School, from where Verner graduated in 2020, it was stated that she was known as an excellent athlete. The Detroit Free Press reported that she was a league MVP in basketball and volleyball, while also playing all-state softball.
A former classmate said that Alexandria Verner was deeply missed by her teammates on the school basketball team.
The classmate said:
“It’s so hard to imagine (you’re) not out there making the world a better place right now. Al was always the best of us."
Billy Shellenbarger, a superintendent at Clawson Public Schools, also addressed Verner's death.
As per the Lansing State Journal, Shellenbarger said:
"Her impact in our district and her impact in our community is so intense and so incredible that the loss really, really hurts a community like ours."
He continued:
“She was certainly a phenomenal daughter, sister, friend, student, leader, student-athlete who truly walked the walk every day and modeled what high character and integrity and kindness was all about in a world where we're void of that, obviously, right now.”
Shellenbarger added that Verner, who played basketball since kindergarten, had collegiate-level talent. He noted, however, that due to her remarkable academic achievements, she decided not to pursue a career in sports.
He said:
“(She was a) 20-year-old who was following her dream at the school of her dreams.”
He mourned her loss and added that she would be missed by members of the basketball team.
Apart from her achievements in sports, Alexandria Verner was also part of the National Honor Society and Student Leadership Council. According to Fox, she hoped to pursue her interest in forensics after completing her university course.
