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Active violence training now available, 'strongly recommended' for MSU community

December 4, 2023
<p>The Michigan State Spartan logo on a building, photographed Aug. 31, 2020.</p>

The Michigan State Spartan logo on a building, photographed Aug. 31, 2020.

Active Violence Incident awareness training is now available for Michigan State University students, faculty and staff — nearly a year after the Feb. 13 mass shooting on campus that killed three and wounded five students. 

Communications Manager for MSU Department of Police and Public Safety Dana Whyte said the training is optional, but "strongly recommended." An email sent to students this morning said community members can complete it at their own time, due to its sensitive nature. 

"We understand that this training may be difficult for some to complete following the violence our community experienced," Vice President and Chief Safety Officer Marlon Lynch wrote in the email. "Keeping this in mind, community members are encouraged to complete it on their own time, at the time that works best for them."

The training is virtual, but in-person training can be requested through the MSU DPPS website.

The training includes a presentation explaining how to respond during an active violence situation, and occasional question checkpoints to check participants' understanding.

An explainer video detailing what to do in an active violence situation is also in the works, and will be added to the training and the MSU DPPS website later, according to the email.

The video details run-hide-fight and avoid-barricade-confront protocols. It was filmed on MSU’s campus "so it will be familiar to students when they watch it," Whyte said.

Trigger warnings will be placed throughout the video and are included in the training that is currently available. 

"During an active violence incident, it is important to know your options," Lynch wrote in the email. "Active violence incidents are unpredictable and there is no single correct way to respond. The more that you mentally rehearse, the more likely you are going to be able to react. This online training serves as a necessary tool to help you stay educated, informed and safe."

When the training was first announced, weeks after the shooting, it was mandatory. Since then, training became optional after MSU DPPS received feedback from the community concerned with the emotional impact the training could have on traumatized individuals.

"Emotionally, it might be difficult for some to complete (AVI training) right away, so we didn't want to make that training mandatory," Whyte told The State News in November.

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