Normally, 2006 MSU alumna Adrienne Broaddus returns to campus for happy occasions: homecoming, celebrations, the occasional home game or two.

And again, Broaddus returned to campus a few days ago — but not for the reasons she is used to. 

Broaddus, a CNN correspondent based in Chicago, came back to the place she calls home at 2 a.m. on Tuesday to report on the mass shooting on MSU's campus shooting. The task, she said, has been tough. 

“I struggle when I see other people hurting. I don’t like to see other people suffer,” Broaddus said. “When I see other folks in pain, it’s tough for me ... This time it happens to be Spartans and Spartans are my family.”

"I never thought I would come back to campus for a mass shooting,” she said.

Despite currently living in Chicago, Broaddus still considers campus her home. 

Broaddus studied journalism in college and worked at The State News. She's now an Emmy award-winning journalist who has reported on major stories such as the death of George Floyd in 2020 and the protests following the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teen who was killed in Missouri by a police officer. 

Among her list of stories is seven mass shootings in the last 14 months.  This assignment, she says, is more personal. 

“Every time we cover a mass shooting, there’s something we always see,” Broaddus said. “Once we learn the names of the victims, there’s always a white cross with a blue heart bearing their names. I’ve seen it all over the country and now it’s here on my campus.” 

Broaddus recalled encountering a student at the Spartan statue right before one of her live shots. The student was crying and she went to comfort them. 

“That hurt my heart, when you see someone in so much pain and you feel helpless,” Broaddus said. 

Broaddus showed the student the Spartan bracelet she wears frequently and pressed it to her heart, showing her solidarity. 

She and the student then went into a conversation, talking about what the Sparty statue means to them. 

“ You take a picture at the statue and you take a picture of your first day of school and you take a picture on your last day of school,” Broaddus said. “That’s the tradition and the reason for taking that picture is so you can see how much you’ve changed.” 

Broaddus said the student told her that the person who stood in front of Sparty four years ago had no idea what was going to happen, that she would now be the survivor of a shooting. This has brought Broaddus some solace during her time reporting on campus these past few days. 

Broaddus also mentioned the moments of saying “Go Green” to hear immediate replies of “Go White” as another thing that has helped her through these difficult few days.

“I think it just shows how strong the connections are for Spartans,” she said.

Broaddus said as soon as she was deployed to East Lansing, she immediately texted her closest friends — friends she met during her time here. 

One of Broaddus’s childhood friends that she is still in touch with today, was one of the first people she reached out to. Although four years apart in age, the two are members of the same sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc. and both were employed at The State News.

Broaddus said she looks back on the memories she made with that friend and it helps her to smile through the pain she feels about what has happened. 

“ I hate that students now have this shooting as part of their story,” she said. 

Broaddus said she urges students to invest in themselves following Monday's tragedy.

“Don’t be afraid to feel your feelings. Feel them,” she said. “(But) also recover quickly, and when I say recover quickly, I try to move forward, recognize and honor the people who lost their lives, but I don’t want to drown in the depression.” 

For reporters specifically, especially the reporters who have been and still are reporting on this event, Broaddus emphasizes the same message. 

“At the end of the day, you have to invest in yourself, so you can as journalists especially, so you can continue the work of sharing these stories to help others as they heal,” she said.

Broaddus said that if there is one thing she has learned from talking to students these past few days, it is that connection is critical in the healing process.

It is this sense of community that continues to comfort Broaddus during her coverage here on campus. 

“If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Spartans are strong," Broaddus said. "Spartans are survivors and Spartans will not let this shooting stop them.“