EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Flowers blanketed parts of MSU’s campus after thousands of students, staff, community members and Spartan supporters gathered for a vigil Wednesday night.
The group started at the Spartan statue and then marched in solidarity to the rock, where with heavy hearts they honored three lives taken too soon and prayed for five others still fighting for their lives.
There, fraternity brothers for Brian Fraser laid the Phi Delta Theta flag. Fraser was the president of the MSU chapter.
Students and many others left flowers at crosses dedicated to him, Alexandria Verner and Arielle Anderson before the vigil started
The fear is still felt by students like Perla Yaldo. She was on campus with friends on Monday night when the shots rang out.
“It was just so chaotic and like we didn’t know anyone, we didn’t know where the shooter was and we just tried to stay safe and updated,” she said.
Yaldo says the mass outpouring of support gave her and her friends some comfort that they’re all in this together.
Junior Mady Grant feels the same.
“Texts that I received, the love that I felt afterward. The kindness of people who checked in on me, really shows that like, we are not alone and we have a really positive community to help us during this difficult time,” said Grant.
But like many students, Grant says she wants to see action in the aftermath of this tragedy.
“Thoughts and prayers are appreciated but like so much more is needed than thoughts and prayers,” said Yaldo.
Spartans sang MSU Shadows at the end of the night, leaving a lasting sense of community.
“Keep growing, keep going, Spartans will, said MSU Masters Student Selva Haidar. “We have an amazing community and I hope we all get through this.”
