EAST LANSING, Mich. – New security measures take effect Monday on Michigan State University’s campus in an effort to help the community feel safer one month after three students were killed and five were hurt in a mass shooting.
On March 13, exactly one month after a gunman opened fire in two buildings on campus, the university is implementing new measures to help prevent unwanted visitors from entering buildings. Key cards will be required to access buildings on campus overnight, between 6 p.m. and 7:30 a.m., on weekdays. Some buildings will also be closed on the weekends.
Many students welcome the building changes, especially the overnight closures, but some are concerned that the changes will prevent community members -- like alumni and the local public -- from having access to a beloved campus, according to Jack Harrison, a senior journalism major and James Madison College student. Still, despite some students choosing to finish the semester virtually following the shootings, most students want to be on campus and the security measures will help them feel more comfortable being there, Harrison said.
The senior said he hopes that university leaders are intentional about which buildings they choose to close on weekends, as many students use that time to study in buildings across campus.
In addition to building changes, officials say that even more cameras will be installed on campus. There are already thousands of cameras across the campus, but there weren’t any at Berkey Hall, an academic building where seven students were shot in a classroom on Feb. 13.
After last month’s shootings, university police said there’s a significant amount of cameras up and running, and that they’re working on creating a more integrated system for accessing the footage. Improving camera placement and accessibility has been a priority of local law enforcement and university leaders after the disappearance, and later confirmed death, of 18-year-old Brendan Santo last year.
The university is also planning to require all students to undergo violent intruder training as part of its new security protocol. It’s unclear how exactly that process is expected to work.
The new measures, which were announced earlier this month, are part of an effort to increase safety and peace of mind for students, staff and faculty on campus weeks after a 43-year-old gunman, with no known ties to the university, attacked the campus. Students resumed classes, many still on campus, one week after the shooting -- though instructors can make accommodations for students who aren’t ready to return to campus.
The gunman killed 19-year-old Arielle Anderson, 20-year-old Alexandria Verner, and 20-year-old Brian Fraser. Each of them will receive posthumous bachelor’s degrees in their fields of study.
Five students were injured and hospitalized in Lansing, where they were initially listed in critical condition. Since then, four of the five students have shown improvements, with some even discharged from the hospital. Police have decided not to confirm the identities of the injured students, but some of their names have been made public by family or friends.
Related: Michigan State police share new note, shooting timeline details 1 month after tragedy