Michigan State University students to return to class Monday following deadly shooting
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A week after a shooting rampage on the Michigan State University campus left three dead and several more wounded, students are expected to return to classes Monday. School officials said Sunday that campus life will look and feel a lot different.
Increased police presence and hundreds of classes being relocated are just some of the changes MSU has put into place ahead of the students' return to campus.
"We are a community that is strong, not as a reaction but as a statement of purpose and principle," said Teresa Woodruff, MSU's interim president.
While a sense of normalcy is the goal, grieving and reflecting appear to be a priority for administrators.
"What are the assignments for this week in particular? We've asked that there be no heavy lifts. There has been no attempt at making up for lost time or scrambling at doubling down for the rest of the semester," said Thomas Jeitschko, interim provost.
Berkey Hall and the MSU student union, the two buildings where the shootings occurred, will be closed and off limits to students and faculty.
Roughly 300 classes that took place at those sites have now been relocated to spaces across campus.
Family and friends gathered this weekend for a vigil for junior Arielle Diamond Anderson, one of the three victims killed. Her funeral is expected to take place in the coming days. Funerals for victims Brian Fraser, a sophomore, and Alexandria Verner, a junior, were held Saturday.
Meanwhile, four of the injured victims remain hospitalized. According to Sparrow Health officials, one students is in fair condition, one student is in serious condition and three students remain in critical condition.
The investigation continues to determine what motivated the rampage where 43-year-old suspect Anthony Dwayne McRae opened fire. He was found dead hours later from a self inflicted gun shot wound.
The healing process for students is proving to be difficult.
"Please recognize that our students are not doing well and that we need the spaces to heal together," said Jo Kovach with Associated Students of MSU.
Officials with MSU announced that they will be paying for the victims' funerals as well as hospital bills for those wounded in last week's shooting. The funds will come from their Spartan strong fund, which has already raised more than $250,000 since the shooting.
In the wake of the shooting, an online petition calling on MSU to provide a remote learning option to students uncomfortable with returning to campus has collected more than 23,000 signatures. Despite support for it, school leadership shows no signs of putting that option on the table.
