(RepublicanPress.org) – The Gun Violence Archive reported that 18,170 people died from shootings involved in homicides, murders, unintentional shootings, and defensive gun use so far in 2023 as of December 19. The nonprofit group listed 12,356 fatalities in those categories in 2014. Sadly, the names of three Michigan State University (MSU) students were added to the organization’s list after a deadly shooting incident at the school’s Lansing campus in February. School officials recently reached a settlement with their families.
On December 15, the Lansing State Journal reported that the MSU Board of Trustees announced it reached a settlement agreement with the survivors of the three slain students. The media outlet confirmed that the board voted unanimously to approve payments to survivors of sophomore and Phi Delta Theta chapter president Brian Fraser and juniors Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner.
#World #families Michigan State to Pay $15 Million to Families of Three Slain Students https://t.co/vlHDk8s1zr
— The Union Journal (@theunionjournal) December 17, 2023
University trustee Dan Kelly spoke out about the agreement during a board meeting. He noted that “no amount” of financial compensation could replace the loss of a human life. However, he said the board hoped the settlement could help bring some “closure, support, and relief” to the families impacted by the deadly shooting.
The board of trustees didn’t disclose the agreement’s terms. An attorney for one of the impacted families said his clients agreed to $5 million in compensation for their loss. A number of reports have indicated that the payments for all families will amount to $15 million.
Fraser was shot and killed in the MSU Union Building’s first-floor kitchen. Anderson and Verner were slain in the same classroom in nearby Berkey Hall. The shooter, 43-year-old Anthony McRae, shot five other students during the incident. All five received critical injuries, and four of them required surgery. McRae died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after police officers confronted him three hours after the shooting incident.
On June 9, MSU officials announced it would release money from the Spartan Strong Fund to assist students and workers directly impacted by the February tragedy. The school decided to prioritize support for the slain student’s family members and the injured students and their next of kin. They also planned to reimburse impacted individuals’ costs associated with mental health care services.
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