EAST LANSING, Mich. – Security updates have been put in place one year after the mass shooting on the campus of Michigan State University. However, there is still a list of needed changes as we embark on the one-year anniversary of the campus mass shooting.
The somber community has been reflecting on the anniversary of the MSU campus shooting in East Lansing when a gunman killed three students and injured five others.
Much has been done after the mass shooting, but there still is a long list of needed improvements, including a third-party investigation into campus security.
Recently, the chief safety officer at MSU released a report. Much has been changed and improved, but there still is the question of door locks, the ability to do a faster lockdown, and active violence training that is not being done, which has some people concerned.
Time, they say, heals wounds, but on the campus, the scars of last year’s mass shooting are still on the minds of students, and so are some of the security issues.
According to the campus safety and security update from MSU, metal detectors are complete and installed at Spartan Stadium, Munn Ice Area, and the MSU Tennis Center. They were already in place at the Breslin Student Center.
One issue not fixed yet is door locks -- 82% are complete, but that means hundreds of classroom doors don’t have new locks.
According to the third-party investigation into campus safety, “There still needs to be a campus emergency lockdown feature.”
According to that same report, the video system needs to be enhanced, including upgrading camera coverage. A video retention policy needs to implemented, not less than 30 days. Take control of self-dispatched police officers to avoid confusion and reports of unknown people with guns.
It is essential to note that the overall assessment of the initial response to that day’s shooting was appropriate, timely, and correct.
There has been a lot of talk about active violence training, which is a hot topic. MSU said the training is in progress, but it’s reported less than 20% of faculty and students have taken it. At first, the school was going to make that training mandatory, but that has since changed.
One year later: Michigan State University remembers victims of campus tragedy