Three were killed and five injured in a Feb. 13 shooting at Michigan State University in East Lansing — marking the 67th mass shooting in the United States in 2023, according to The New York Times.
The gunman reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to MLive. The university issued a notice Feb. 14 that all classes would be canceled through Feb. 17 and student health and counseling services were available for support in the meantime.
The Michigan Nurses Association published a statement from one of its members, Kevin Glaza, a pharmacist at Sparrow Hospital and a father of an MSU student, detailing how the hospital had to turn away some patients to care for the victims and families of the shooting.
“A horrific act of gun violence shattered our community,” Mr. Glaza said. “Nurses and healthcare professionals rushed to Sparrow to assist in the care of victims. Our hospital had so many caregivers respond to the call for help that they had to turn people away. We grieve for the students who lost their lives in this senseless tragedy and our thoughts are with their families, our MSU community and those who continue to fight for their lives.”
Denny Martin, DO, interim president and chief medical officer at Sparrow Hospital Lansing, during a Feb. 14 news conference described treatment the hospital provided to five shooting victims.
Dr. Martin said the hospital’s level 1 trauma center team was waiting for the victims upon their arrival and acted quickly to provide surgical intervention to four. All five remained in critical condition Feb. 14.
“So many people that came and … we received a lot of texts that were just, ‘I’m on my way,’ people showing up, ‘Where do you need me?'” Dr. Martin said. “It was a sad but very proud night for all of us here.”
The McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital also provided aid during the tragedy.
“It was heartbreaking for our entire organization to see this senseless act of violence and immeasurable tragedy hit our community,” Kirk Ray, McLaren Greater Lansing president and CEO, said in a statement shared with Becker’s. Being heavily associated with the university, we have a lot of Spartan pride, and we all mourn with them. …At a moment’s notice, countless people — law enforcement, physicians, surgeons, nurses and clinical support staff — responded without hesitation to be on the front lines. I, personally, could not be prouder of the way our own team responded and stood ready to support.”
The Michigan Health and Hospital Association also issued a statement in support of the university and its students.
“The MHA and our member hospitals have extremely close relationships with our higher education partners,” said Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. “We have particularly close ties with Michigan State University due to the many connections the MHA has with the university here in the greater Lansing area. However, much more than our close proximity, healthcare employs countless Spartans who graduate from East Lansing every year. Our hearts ache for our fellow Spartans and we mourn together.”
Lynn Sutfin, a public information officer from Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services, told Becker’s that it also “joins the Spartan community and Michiganders across the state in extending our condolences to those affected by the events at Michigan State University.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke at a news conference Feb. 14 calling for change, stating that, “Another place that is supposed to be about community and togetherness shattered by bullets and bloodshed,” The Guardian reports.
Rampant gun violence in the U.S. has been named a public health crisis by the American Public Health Association, American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges and other organizations.
