MSU students mourn lives lost in shooting

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WNEM) - MSU students are in mourning after three of their fellow Spartans were shot and killed on campus on Monday night and five others were critically injured.

The scene at the Sparty statue Tuesday afternoon showed students gathered around, putting down flowers, being together and trying to cope with the unspeakable events that took place on Monday night.

“Those students could have been me,” said Josephine Bonczynski.

Bonczynski, like a lot of Michigan State students, is dealing with the aftermath of the mass shooting. She brought flowers to the Spartan statue to show her support for the victims.

“This is the least I could do because I can’t change or do anything for them anymore, but I want to,” Bonczynski said.

Sunshine Carlson came with Bonczynski. She is shaken by the tragic turn of events that took place.

“It’s scary to be on campus, and I am so sorry to anyone affected by this because it’s unfathomable and just terrifying,” Carlson said.

Other students like Kathryn Johnson said they feel anger toward the shooter, Anthony McRae.

“I know it was said that he was 43 and had no affiliation to the school, so I really don’t understand why someone would come onto a college campus and kill a bunch of teenagers. I don’t know who is so evil to do that,” Johnson said.

Johnson said she is heartbroken for families mourning the loss of a loved one, along with those who are hoping their shooting victim survives.

“I can’t imagine losing a friend or a family member because of this, and I don’t understand the pain that they’re going through, but I have my own pain and I feel for them,” Johnson said.

Bonczynski said she is trying to come to grips with the senseless loss of life.

“It’s traumatizing. You are expected to come back to school maybe next week and act like none of this happened. And this is greater than Michigan,” Bonczynski said.

She said this is a national problem, and it needs to be addressed.

Read next:

Subscribe to the TV5 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every day.

Copyright 2023 WNEM. All rights reserved.