Beaumont Tower photographed on May 15, 2019.
Michigan State University leadership responded to Tuesday's shooting at Oxford High School on Wednesday, emphasizing mental health resources and reassurances of campus safety.
The shooting, which occurred approximately 80 miles from Michigan State University’s East Lansing campus, ended with the killing of four students: Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Justin Shilling, 17, and Tate Myre, 16.
At least eight others were injured, including one teacher.
The suspect, identified as 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, is facing one count of terrorism causing death, four counts of first-degree murder, seven counts of assault with intent to murder and 12 counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Senior Vice President for Student Life and Engagement Venceslaus Gore expressed condolences and offered support in a campus-wide email on Wednesday.
“Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts are with the families, friends and community who suffered a tremendous loss yesterday,” Gore wrote. “We know some of our Spartans are graduates of Oxford and are part of the community. Please know, we are to support you and all impacted by this tragic event.”
Alongside condolences, Gore highlighted resources for students to utilize in this time of grief.
He pointed to Counseling and Psychiatric Services, or CAPS, as a place students can find help for emotional distress enacted by the event.
CAPS’s crisis services can be reached at (517) 355-8270. For those wishing to schedule an individual counseling session, they can be scheduled online at caps.msu.edu.
In addition to on-campus mental health services, Gore provided links to ThrivingCampus — a program that allows students to connect with providers based on practice area, insurance requirements, treatment approaches and other criteria.
ThrivingCampus's services can be found at msu.thrivingcampus.com.
Gore ended the email with a reminder for students to reach out to those who may have been affected by the tragedy.
“We encourage you to reach out should you need someone to speak with,” Gore wrote. “We also ask you check in with friends as we all work together to keep our Spartan community safe.”
MSU Deputy Spokesperson Dan Olsen backed up Gore's statement, reiterating this is a time for Spartans to support one another.
"I think it reinforces that we need to be caring for one another at this time," Olsen said. "This is an incredibly difficult time for many, and certainly a sobering moment for us all."
Olsen said that Michigan State University Police Department officers are trained on active shooter situations, and are poised to respond to such an event at any time.
"Our goal is to respond to those calls, if they ever happen god-forbid, on our campus instantaneously within three to five minutes," Olsen said.
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