First funerals are held after Michigan State mass shooting
GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. — The first funerals were held Saturday for students who were killed in this week's mass shooting at Michigan State University.
Mourners in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe Farms filed into St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church to remember 20-year-old sophomore Brian Fraser, who was one of three students killed in Monday's attack.
“He's one of those charismatic, smiling, humorous, goodnatured young men that is hard not to like,” Father Jim Bilot said during Fraser's service. “So this was a great gift he had and he used that gift for the glory and honor of God because he honored the gift that had been given to him. He was very athletic, very competitive. I heard he wasn't always that great in his sports, but certainly loved being part of the team.”
At the same time, a funeral was held for 20-year-old junior Alexandria Verner at the Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Clawson, a suburb a few miles to the northwest.
During that service, Verner's family placed a small wooden cross with her name on it on the church's remembrance wall.
They were among eight students who were shot in the attack at two buildings on the Michigan State campus in East Lansing, including five who were wounded but survived. A memorial service was scheduled for later Saturday for the third student killed, Arielle Anderson, The Detroit News reported. Her funeral is set for next week.
Four of the wounded students remained in critical condition Friday at a Lansing hospital. The fifth victim remained hospitalized in stable condition.
Fraser previously attended Grosse Pointe South High School. He was president of Michigan State's chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
At Fraser's funeral, Bilot told fraternity members and others not to allow evil to make them “fearful.”
“To the community of Michigan State University, my heart just goes out to so many that are affected by this,” he said. “But to the students, to the frat brothers, please go back. Go back with determination. Go back with the confidence of the spirit of his love, of God's love.”
Verner was a 2020 graduate of Clawson High School. She was studying integrated biology and anthropology, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Anderson graduated from Grosse Pointe North High School. Her family said in a statement that she was pushing to graduate early from Michigan State, hoping to become a surgeon as quickly as possible.