At 8:31 p.m. on Monday, February 13, 2023, students at Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, Michigan, received an alert to “run, hide, fight.” Approximately 13 minutes earlier, the first call had been made of shots being fired at two campus locations: Berkey Hall, which houses several social sciences departments, and the MSU Union, a place for students to study but which also holds various school centers, councils, and boards. Both buildings were open to the public.
While in Berkey Hall, a 43-year-old gunman—who has no known affiliations with the school—shot and killed two people. He then went to the MSU Union, where he killed another. It is unclear where the five who were critically injured were found.
After the event, the active shooter is said to have taken his own life via a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No motive has been released, although police have confirmed that a note was found on the suspect and that note is currently being investigated.
What We Know About Active Shootings on College Campuses
Unfortunately, mass shootings on college campuses are all too common. The FBI’s 20-year review of active shooter incidents between 2000 and 2019 revealed that 18 events occurred at institutes of higher education. That’s in addition to 44 events at pre-K, elementary, middle, and high schools. When added together, the only location with more active shooter incidents was businesses open to pedestrian traffic.
This report also revealed that when an active shooter event occurred at a college or university, the consequences were often more dire. Seventy-five people were killed at schools of higher learning from 2000 to 2019, outranking the death totals at all other types of educational institutions. Eighty-two were also injured, which was only outranked by injuries that occurred at a high school mass shooting.
Active Shooter Survival Training: A Must-Have for College Students
If you attend college or know someone who does, active shooter survival training is an invaluable investment. These events are generally short-lived—with most only lasting up to 10 minutes—making it critical to know what to do immediately. This is the type of insight that you will learn at A.L.I.V.E. Active Shooter Survival Training.
A.L.I.V.E. offers in-person active shooter survival training programs in Michigan, which provide the five steps to take if ever in a mass attack incident. For those who live elsewhere or prefer a class they can take from home, you can also sign up for our video-based online active shooter survival training program.
Don’t wait for a suspect to show up at your school, place of work, or other location you frequent. Learn what to do today so you can use those short 10 minutes to your advantage.
Sources: Detroit Free Press, NBC News, FBI Active Shooter Incidents 20-Year Review, 2000-2019