Michigan State University Shooting
 

Some of you may know that I graduated from MSU. The campus shooting earlier this week on campus hit pretty close to home. This one cuts to the bone as a father, alumnus, and citizen.

This is a photo of police rushing into the Phillips Hall dormitory where I lived as a student for a couple years.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2...pjpg&auto=webp

The shooter had no connection to MSU other than living a few miles from campus. Sadly, it was also reported that the shooter had a couple of prior felony charges for firearms possession in 2019. If he had served time, it's entirely possible this never would have happened. The prosecutor settled for a plea bargain and he got off with a misdemeanor and probation.

Another angle to this story: Oxford, MI is about 80 miles from the MSU campus. It was just over a year ago that a student shot up Oxford High School leaving 4 dead and a number of others injured.

A number of those students decided to go on to Michigan State after graduation from Oxford High School. Many of those students were on campus the other night when this shooting occurred, and got to relive the nightmare.

In this sad moment, know that all my thoughts and prayers are with you.

As a Virginia Tech alumni (and father of two VT grads), I know the feeling all too well. Our oldest son accepted admission at VT the day after the 2007 shootings in solidarity with the 32 victims there despite a nice scholarship offer at Georgia Tech.

We live in an exceedingly violent and well-armed country and this is the price we seem to be willing to pay for it. Indeed we have had 71 mass shootings in this country in the first 6 weeks of 2023.

I have quit thinking that the newest shooting will change minds in the country.

This love of guns seems to be stronger then love for people.

The modern popular minority take on the 2nd Amendment is a societal suicide pill addiction that we are probably stuck with.
Rational nationwide regulation is unlikely to ever occur.

I believe that because mass shootings have occurred so often enough minds see such behavior as a normal reaction to anything which affronts, ails, or depresses.

Mass shooting has already reached its threshold.