MSU Reaches $15 Million Settlement with Families of 3 Students Slain in February Shooting
Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser, and Alexandria Verner were killed and five other students were injured in an on-campus mass shooting at MSU.
The MSU students killed in the shooting were (L-R) Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser, and Alexandria Verner.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State University (MSU) trustees approved on Friday a $15 million settlement with the families of three students who died in February’s active shooter attack on campus.
Although MSU officials did not reveal the settlement amount, an attorney for the families, Ven Johnson, said the board approved the $15 million pay out, reports KOMU.
Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser, and Alexandria Verner were killed and five other students were injured February 13 when an active shooter opened fire at Berkey Hall and the MSU Union. Investigators say the gunman had no connection to the students or the school and committed suicide after the attack when confronted by law enforcement.
David Femminineo, an attorney for the Verner family said the lawsuit was never intended to blame MSU for the mass shooting. “Instead, the Verner family has sought answers as to how this could be prevented in the future,” he told WXYZ.
MSU Vice Chair Dan Kelly said the following about the settlement: “While no amount of compensation can ever replace the loss of a life, we do hope this brings some closure, support, and relief to those families. The university gives its deepest condolences to each of the three families, and we are committed to ensuring the memory of their child is not forgotten in the Spartan community.”
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About the Author
Robin Hattersley, Editor-in-Chief
Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.
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