OUR COMMUNITY

O

n Monday, Feb. 13, we all became Spartans. 
Following the shooting at Michigan 
State University when a gunman opened 
fire in two buildings on campus, killing three and 
severely wounding five others before killing himself, 
Metro Detroit rabbis and mental health profes-
sionals from Jewish Family Service wrapped their 
resources around the Michigan State University 
community. Parents and students spent the week 
tearfully recounting the horrors of being on campus 
during an active shooter lockdown or waiting for the 
moment to be reunited with children, friends and 
family. 
On the night of Monday, Feb. 13, thousands of 
students spent hours in lockdown, either alone in an 
off-campus apartment or together huddled in dorm 
rooms or campus stairwells. Parents, grandparents 
and friends communicated to one another with 
frantic texts, and many tuned into the East Lansing 
police scanner to get updates. After the threat sub-
sided, some weary parents headed to East Lansing to 
pick up their students or othe students drove them-
selves home after MSU canceled all classes for the 
remainder of the week. 

The Jewish community 
embraces the MSU family in 
wake of mass shooting.

We’re All 
Spartans 
Now

continued on page 16

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ON THE COVER

The Rock 
painted as a 
memorial to 
victims of the 
2023 Michigan 
State University 
shooting

WIKIPEDIA

FEBRUARY 23 • 2023 | 15

