A third notice of intent to sue Michigan State University regarding the events of the February mass shooting on campus has been filed on behalf of Yukai “John” Hao, one of five students injured during the violence on Feb. 13.
Hao, a twenty year old international student from China, was shot in the back after trying to escape out of a window in Berkey Hall room 114. He was left paralyzed from the chest down after a bullet severed part of his spinal cord and critically injured his lungs.
Hao is the fourth student shot during the February shooting that has moved towards suing the university. The family of Alexandria Verner, who was killed in the shooting, filed a notice last week as well as attorneys for students Nate Statly and Troy Forbush, who survived with serious injuries.
The filing offered summaries of the legal positions the attorneys plan to address in the suit, positions similar to the ones seen for Statly, Forbrush and Verner.
All four students were present in Berkey Hall room 114 the night of the shooting, where, according to court records, the professor had to use their foot to hold the door closed as it was unable to be locked from the inside.
Gruel Mills Nims and Pylman is the firm representing the case. The attorneys cited in the filing the university’s lack of door locks, inadequate video surveillance system on campus, public access to campus buildings at night and failure to have necessary training and drills.
In a previous statement to The State News, MSU spokesperson Dan Olsen said that the university remains in communication with the families affected by the shooting.
“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.
One of the attorneys for Hao, William Azkoul, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
MSU announced on June 7 that it would begin rolling out new methods of receiving security alerts along with updates on a third-party review meant to enhance campus security and progress on the previously announced door locks. MSU’s Infrastructure Planning and Facilities is still installing door locks to campus across campus that allows doors to be locked from the inside while a the firm Security Risk and Management Consultants will be conducting a review to examine the university’s response to the shooting.
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