While I have been a volunteer in gun violence prevention for nearly 8 years, it is hard to form words about my beloved alma mater, Michigan State University (MSU), being added to the never-ending list of mass shootings in America. February 13, 2023 is a night no Spartan will ever forget. But before I talk about the horrific tragedy, I want to try to put into words what that university and East Lansing, the city it is located in, mean to me.
When I was in high school, I applied to 6 or 7 universities. It did not matter who the other ones were. I knew in my heart right from the start that I would be going to MSU. I had visited several times over the years growing up and it was love at first sight. Every moment at that school, even on my “worst day,” was still a good day. Life at MSU / in East Lansing was magical. It was a sanctuary.
I felt welcomed and accepted from day one. I met the most amazing people there. I gained a mentor there that will be a lifelong friend and colleague. The city and the campus are the friendliest places where everyone smiles and says hello to one another. I had the most amazing job at the campus radio station that never once felt like a “job.” I got my BA and MA there. I spent my formative years there, 7 years total.
I loved it so much that I never came back to my hometown in the summer from my sophomore year on. East Lansing became my new home. I have been in Royal Oak nearly 20 years now. While I love it here, East Lansing will always be a city I consider “home” too.
I met dear friends there that I’m still close with today. I met one of my bridesmaids there. I met my (ex) spouse there. And while our marriage was not life-long, there would be no Tommy if there was no MSU. My son is my favorite human. My son is here because of MSU.
My story is not unique. So many others adore MSU like I do. According to Wikipedia, as of fall 2018, there were about 634,000 living Michigan State University alumni worldwide. That’s a lot of green and white lovers.
Back to Monday night. As long as I live, I will never forget that night. Listening to the police scanner for my beloved campus and city was just…haunting…heartbreaking…surreal. In the end, three lives were taken way too early. Five more are in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan. I have no idea what their fate will be.
I could not go to sleep until I heard the shooter had been caught. The monster who did this ended up taking his own life. We may never know what provoked him to do something so horrible. I do know this: We make it WAY TOO EASY TO GET A GUN IN AMERICA.
As long as I have been a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, I have known that a mass shooting can happen anywhere. I know that NO zip code is immune. But for some weird reason, I never thought MSU, a sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of people, would be the next. I have experienced so many horrific mass shootings. I will not even try to list them all. Without a doubt, this one has gutted me the most.
Make no mistake, every mass shooting is horrific. NOT ONE of them should have happened. Not one American should have died in a mass shooting. This is a uniquely American problem. Every single peer nation has solved this problem. Mass shootings are now the number one killer of our children in America. America should have fixed this IMMEDIATELY after Columbine over 20 years ago.
This one feels more personal than all the others.
A long-time saying from MSU is “Spartans Will.” I know in my heart that worldwide Spartans will come together to try to heal after this horrific tragedy. I know Spartans will come together to fight our uniquely American epidemic of gun violence. I know Spartans will do amazing things to honor the lives lost. And I know Spartans will do everything in their power so that this does not happen on our beloved campus again and the current population of over 45,000+ students feel safe once again.
There will be vigils and fundraisers and memorials. Do what you can, where you can. One example:
My friend Rachael is selling t-shirts. The proceeds will go to the Michigan chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Moms Demand Action is the largest grassroots gun violence prevention organization in America. They are going toe-to-toe with the gun lobby to make our country safer. In the 10 years since their inception, they have made an incredible amount of positive changes to make America safer. Do NOT let anyone tell you that nothing has happened since Sandy Hook. It has. But it is an incredibly slow process to dismantle the hold the gun lobby has on America. You can read about all Moms Demand Action’s big victories here. But their work is far from done. They need our support.
Please consider buying 1, 2 or 20 t-shirts! Thank you. If you cannot buy a shirt, please consider volunteering your time with Moms Demand Action. Text the word READY to the number 64433 to get signed up. You do not have to be a mom. Their name came from their founder. Thank you.
Lindsay Warren's Blog 