(RightWing.org) – Michigan State University (MSU) has agreed to compensate the families of three students who died in a campus shooting. The murders took place in February when a gunman came onto campus and started shooting in areas that were open to the public. The university has been under pressure to improve security since the killings.
Around 8:30 pm on February 13, 2023, 43-year-old Anthony McRae started shooting at students outside MSU’s Berkey Hall, which houses the social science faculty. Leaving two students dead, he then moved on to the student union and killed a third. Five more students were wounded in the assault.
Then McRae fled, leading to a three-hour manhunt that ended when he was found dead from a self-inflicted bullet wound. The reason he decided to attack the school is still unknown, although his family said he was disturbed and suffered anger issues after the death of his mother.
The families of the three dead students — Arielle Diamond Anderson, Brian Fraser, and Alexandria Verner — believed MSU was partly responsible for their children’s deaths because security on the campus hadn’t been adequate. Although McRae, who was described as an oddball and “socially isolated” by his sister, had no reason to be on campus that day, he was able to gain access to a weapon, allowing him to carry out his lethal rampage.
Now MSU has agreed to pay a $15 million settlement to the families, which appears to be split equally between the three. Relatives of Alexandria Verner say they plan to use the money to honor her memory, including through funding scholarships.
MSU trustee Dan Kelly said that while the money couldn’t compensate for the loss of their children, he hoped the agreement would bring “some closure, support and relief to these impacted families.” He also confirmed that the university is working to improve campus security, as well as providing mental health support to those affected by the attack.
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