More than 1,000 students filled the lawn of Michigan’s Capitol to again demand action to confront gun violence, less than a week after a mass shooting took the lives of three Michigan State University students and critically injured five others.
David Hogg, a survivor of a school shooting in Florida and president of March For Our Lives, said at the Monday, Feb. 20 rally “our country and our world desperately needs to ensure that no future generation has to live through what you all and unfortunately, I, have also lived through.”
Hogg had called on the legislature to pass gun reform measures at a press conference earlier that morning alongside other activists.
“I believe right now, we need to be at the beginning of a mass movement, unlike anything seen before in American history and a fight for our democracy, and a true democracy this time, that starts in places like this in Michigan, in Lansing right now,” he said at the rally.
Monday was the first day classes were held on MSU’s East Lansing campus since the shooting, and some students have viewed returning to campus with trepidation. As students went up to the microphone to share their experiences, one asked the crowd, “How many of you want to go to class? How many of you feel safe?”
No hands went up.
The shooting at MSU happened about 8:20 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13 when an armed man entered Berkey Hall and began firing inside of a classroom. Moments later, the same person fired shots inside the nearby Union.
Alexandria Verner, 20, and Arielle Anderson, 19, died from the shooting at Berkey Hall. Brian Fraser, 20, died from the shooting at the Union.
Later, as police searched for the shooter, a 911 tip led them to a Lansing area more than three miles from campus. They confronted Anthony McRae as he walked and, without saying a word, he shot himself dead.
Monday’s protest was the second sit-in MSU students held in the past week. The first was held less than 48 hours after the shooting, with a series of legislative leaders pledging to move on reforms.
When Hogg asked the crowd if they would hold Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the new Democratic majorities in the state legislature accountable for action on gun control legislation, they roared their agreement.
Mlive
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