Two other students who were wounded when the gunman entered Berkey Hall, Troy Forbush and Nate Statly, are also taking similar steps to sue the university.

Verner's family filed the notice, which is addressed to MSU's president, board of trustees, general counsel and department of police and public safety, in the Michigan Court of Claims. Filing a notice of claims is a requirement when initiating lawsuits against public institutions, in this case MSU.

The family's intent to sue claims that Faculty Senate and Steering Committee Vice Chair Stephanie Anthony, along with other faculty members, had raised concerns in September about whether more safety precautions were needed at MSU, the Detroit News reported.

MSU Police Chief Marlon Lynch told Anthony that the doors at Berkey Hall had a system in place that would allow them to be remotely locked. But that system didn't work the night of the shooting, and the doors could not be locked from inside the classroom. 

David Femminineo, the attorney representing Verner’s family, did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publishing.

University spokesperson Dan Olsen did not directly address the Verner family's lawsuit's claims, referring The State News to a statement released earlier in the week in response to the intent to claim documents filed by Statly and Forbush.

“Many lives among our community have been profoundly impacted by the violence our campus experienced. We are heartbroken and sorry for the tragic loss of life and each person harmed by senseless gun violence. MSU has been engaged in conversations with the families of those we lost and those injured to identify ways to provide ongoing support, and we are committed to keeping those lines of communication open,” Olsen said Monday.