“My heart sank. I started to feel tingly all over with panic and messaged my son immediately,” said Jennifer Houston, the mother of a sophomore student. 

Houston, who was at a gas station when she received the alerts, told the State News that while the second text signaling the false alarm was sent shortly after, the panic she felt was overwhelming.  

“I got the second message two minutes after the first, but two minutes is a long time when you think something horrible is happening,” Houston said. 

Though it was ultimately a false alarm, the alert reopened painful memories for many parents and reignited frustration over the university’s inaction.

“I couldn’t believe they did this, especially after MSU didn’t do a good job for students in the aftermath of the shooting,” said Wendy Arnold, the mother of an environmental science senior who was on campus three years ago when the shooting occurred. 

“The day of reflection doesn’t really help the students. Many just relive the trauma,” Arnold said, adding that she suggested the university implement stewardship and scholarship programs instead of simply canceling classes for the day.

Amy Azzopardi, the mother of an engineering sophomore, said that while her student was not yet on campus when the shooting occurred, she worried the same thing was happening again. 

“I immediately checked my son's location and saw he was off campus. After calling, he told me it was a false alarm,” Azzopardi said. “I’m so relieved and happy everyone is safe, but my thoughts immediately went to those impacted three years ago.”