Flags lowered, support offered after MSU mass shooting
County deputies provided mutual aid
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered U.S. and Michigan flags within the Capitol complex and at all public buildings and grounds across the state to be lowered to half-staff until further notice to honor and remember the Michigan State University shooting victims.
“MSU’s campus is a special place for so many that is now the site of a tragic and senseless act of violence,” she said in her flag announcement. “I’m heartbroken for the victims and every student, parent, faculty, and MSU staff member affected by last night’s events. I want to thank law enforcement, first responders, and medical professionals for acting quickly to protect campus and save lives. We must work together to end this gun violence that claims the lives of too many Americans and upends the lives of countless others every day.”
To lower flags to halfstaff, flags should be hoisted first to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The process is reversed before the flag is lowered for the day.
The MSU Board of Trustees issued a statement Tuesday that they are talking with the victims’ families.
“We are devastated with them and for them. Please hold space with the entire Spartan community as we navigate the weeks ahead. We will get through this difficult time by healing together,” they said in the statement. “Take care of yourselves and one another. Please seek out support in our community if you need it.”
When MSU police in East Lansing called for mutual aid, Sheriff Mike Bouchard deployed what he called significant equipment: armored vehicles, drones, canines, mobile command vehicles, and personnel, including the SWAT. He was also on the scene.
Michigan State University police remain the lead agency in this investigation, he wrote on Facebook, adding, “We also know that this will be a terrible flashback for our Oxford community, especially those students that graduated from Oxford high school and now attend MSU.”
He ordered extra resources present in the schools Tuesday and encouraged people to get mental-health support as they processed the news of MSU’s mass shooting.
On Tuesday, Bouchard added a more-personal message.
“This kind of tragedy is so hard to wrap your head around and it’s important that you have help to process. For many there will be anxiety, depression, and the feeling of being unsafe and violated,” he wrote. “You are not alone and there are people that want to help. I hugged numerous students last night at the reunification center and could see in their eyes the longing for that simple contact. Hugs can be very reassuring. Don’t be afraid to ask for or give hugs and support … We are all Spartan nation today.”
Oxford Community Schools shared two announcements on Facebook. The All for Oxford Resiliency Center, 1370 S. Lapeer Rd., is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday for anyone in need of support. At 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oxford alumi who are MSU students are invited to the All For Oxford Resiliency Center for pizza and time to support one another.
Dave Coulter, the county’s executive and an MSU alumnus, said that he was heartbroken and angry that fear and tragedy struck his alma mater.
“We grieve the loss of precious lives and pledge to support each other through the trauma. We thank brave first responders who ran into harm’s way — including many from Oakland County who did the same in Oxford — and we are grateful for the healthcare workers who tended to the injured, he said.
Coulter also called for renewed efforts to address violent acts.
“This madness at our schools — where kids go to learn and chart the course of their lives — has got to stop,” he said.
Nicole Kessler, a founding member of the Beverly Hills-based Michigan Parent Alliance for Safe Schools issued a statement as well, saying parents are exhausted and grieving an endless cycle of violence and calling for change.
“Today, our hearts break for the families whose lives have been shattered by yet another mass shooting in Michigan, the second in 18 months at a place where our children are supposed to learn in safety. We grieve with the entire Spartan community,” she said, adding “… we are terrified, we are angry, and we demand action from our elected leaders.”
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is a Lansing Democrat whose district includes both MSU and Oxford High School.
“I’m filled with rage that we have to have another press conference to talk about our children being killed in their schools. And I would say that you either care about protecting kids or you don’t. You either care about having an open, honest conversation about what is going on in our society or you don’t,” she said Tuesday. “But please don’t tell me you care about the safety of children if you’re not willing to have a conversation about keeping them safe in a place that should be a sanctuary.”