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JLeslie's avatar

Did you hear about the shooting at Michigan State University?

Asked by JLeslie (65721points) February 14th, 2023 from iPhone

I graduated from MSU, and some of my BFF’s are my friends from my college days. Four of us are a very tightknit group, and we are always in touch.

Last night, when I arrived home from a very fun night out, I looked at my phone when I returned home and there was a stream of texts with my friends talking about the active shooter.

One of my friends in the group has a daughter at MSU who lives off campus. Another has a niece on campus. The other has a nephew on campus. The nephew on campus has three friends who were in the Union and witnessed people being shot The three ran and got out safely. This same nephew was friends with one of the students who was shot and killed.

This morning I reached out to another college friend who was my roommate in my junior year. She works at MSU. The sister of one of her student employees was shot twice and critical this morning, I don’t know her status now.

The chances that all of my friends would be so connected to this horrible event at this moment in time is just crazy.

Do you think it’s going to get any better any time soon? My friends became very emotional today as it all really started hitting them. Understandable and expected. The two girls went home this morning, and the boy, the nephew, chose to stay on campus with his friends who are out-of-staters. Actually, his mom is out-of-state, but he could go to his aunt’s house (my friend).

Do you think it’s going to get better any time soon? Will the shootings slow down? Are you numb to it now?

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28 Answers

Acrylic's avatar

Yep. Shootings likely will slow down in due time. This is why our kid will be going to a smaller, private college this fall. They’re safer and you get a better education, despite no place being 100% safe from these angry individuals.

JLeslie's avatar

Better education? I’ll take that as an insult. Lol. Some of the most revered and respected universities are in the top ten largest schools in the US. I’m not saying small private schools aren’t good, I think it depends on the student and how well they know what they want to do.

I was just online researching University shootings and it’s very rare actually. That made me feel better.

zenvelo's avatar

It isn’t going to end any time soon, and the SCOTUS keeps overturning any attempts to make things safer.

The only way to really slow down gun violence is to repeal the 2nd amendment.

KNOWITALL's avatar

He had a history of mental illness as well as previous legal issues. I hate to say that it will likely continue but with UFO’s, Covid, the possibility of WW3, among other issues, I can only see it exacerbating mental illness.

I’m still not sure why an opioid database at state level is in place but a database for potential threats is considered impossible.

kritiper's avatar

The more people there are , the more killings will occur. And don’t blame it on guns! It is a people problem!

“When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.”

JLeslie's avatar

@kritiper Really? China is one of the most populated congested countries in the world and they don’t have gun violence like us.

KRD's avatar

I have a friend who graduated there. I heard little about the shooting but I hope no one was killed.

SQUEEKY2's avatar

Good grief, what is wrong with the states and mental illness?
Anti gunners just climb on their soap box and scream this wouldn’t have happened if no had guns,think the guy might have gotten his hands on an illegal firearm?
Mental illness needs to be addressed and paid for by the Government (ok fright wingers hold your heads and scream the sky is falling)
But until mental illness is recognized and dealt with, these mass shooting are just going to keep going and get more horrific each time,stop blaming the firearm and look at the person using the firearm.
But who am I kidding the anti gunners will keep blaming the gun, the fright wingers will protest any Government help these people get,. and the shootings will just keep going.
All I can say is DUCK, and stay low.

MrGrimm888's avatar

This is, in my opinion, yet another symptom, of the current state of humanity…

Humanity’s default setting is chaos.
Is that oversimplification? Yes.
Is it untrue, given our history? No.

SQUEEKY2's avatar

@MrGrimm888 how does humanity climb out of chaos?

MrGrimm888's avatar

Sup @SQUEEKY2 .
As with many self-made holes, there is often an obvious ladder. The one that we climbed down on…
But. It takes a willingness to change, to even try to climb out.

My observations lead me to the conclusion that our inability to coexist, will be an insurmountable obstacle. Most people, I think, are generally opposed to mass killings. But will never agree on how to deal with them.

Greed, religion, war, tribalism, cruelty, sadism, apathy, lack of accountability, currency, slavery, ignorance, disease, pandemics, famine, environmental responsibilities, rape, murder, mortality, interpretation/perception, trust, lies, deception. Such things are intertwined and combined, by mostly voluntary behavior, by people who are aware of the ramifications but proceed regardless.

Perception/interpretation, rule the day. What’s the saying? Something like “kill a few, you’re a murderer. Kill a million, you’re a conqueror.”...
You say it’s black. I say it’s white.

Irreconcilable differences, and an overall lack of love (received and/or given.)

Either we all hang together, or we all hang separately. See you at the gallows friend…

SQUEEKY2's avatar

I think what you said is very true, we are doomed all I can say is thank GOD I am a Canadian, that won’t save me in the long run but will make it that I go on a bit further than you Yankees.

MrGrimm888's avatar

^Bruh…. You can’t call a “Southerner,” a “Yankee.”

Don’t worry. When the shit really hits the fan. Canada will smell too…

SQUEEKY2's avatar

Oh I aint saying it wont,just saying it will take a little longer for us to smell,and sorry about the Yankee thing but we Canucks consider all the states Yankees.

MrGrimm888's avatar

^I can’t say that I consider myself a “Southerner.” But… I’ll proclaim a percentage of myself to be.

RELEVANT!!!!!
One of the female students, was apparently also present at the Sandy Hook shooting! Lucky her….......

JLeslie's avatar

@KRD Three students were killed and five were shot and in critical condition as of yesterday, I don’t know their status tonight.

MrGrimm888's avatar

^The thing that just KILLS me, is that the perpetrators of these atrocities typically kill themselves. Or are aware that it’s essentially a suicide mission.

If you want to kill yourself, just fucking do it. Why must people drag others with them?...

SQUEEKY2's avatar

That’s my question as well @MrGrimm888 ,like when a motorist swerves into on coming traffic to commit suicide,why involve innocent people in your quest?
Why shoot innocent people then take your own life,these people need mental help.

MrGrimm888's avatar

I hate these people… I try to see things from every perspective, even if I strongly disagree. But. I just can’t, in these situations.

I couldn’t agree more, that mental health care is in need of reform, and major attention.

Here in Charleston, we ALL took the James AME shooting hard. It seems sort of worse, that Dylan Roof’s goal was not just mass murder, but to trigger a “race war.”
I’m fairly well traveled. I have to say, Charleston SC, is actually very different, than most people expect. As with many older port cities, it has a very rich, colorful, and diverse culture. People are typically very friendly, and truly “love thy neighbors.”
Go to any place of gathering here, and you wouldn’t think there was such a thing as racism.
Race war? Nope. The people of this city got together (every race, ethnicity, and/or type of people,) and joined hands across our iconic Ravenel Bridge that stretches for miles. It was a symbolic moment that was a rare sort of counter punch, to such a cowardly, ignorant act of hate. Instead of ripping the races apart, he united them. The same way that bridge unites two cities.
Love, can conquer hate…

SHAMEFUL ADMISSION. Sadly. Trumpism has spread to a portion of the people here. But. It doesn’t get much worse than bumper stickers, and some occasional loudmouth who gets booed out of a bar. Otherwise. It’s still a great place.

mazingerz88's avatar

Why are there statements above saying “Don’t blame the guns.”

Guns are being blamed? Objects are being blamed? ~

It’s the unreasonable state of availability of guns to whoever tries to get one that’s being questioned. Jellies who posted those statements are being…weird.

SQUEEKY2's avatar

Exactly it’s the ease of obtaining a firearm, without proper checking of the person that wants it, but I have an idea let’s keep blaming the gun, heaven forbid we look at the person that wants a gun.

KRD's avatar

@mazingerz88 and @SQUEEKY2 I agree. guns are not the ones hurting people, it is other people. I also agree with back round checks. Let me tell you something
If guns kill people, then cars cause wreaks, knives prepare meals, matches set houses on fire, spoons make people fat, and pencils miss spell words.

zenvelo's avatar

@KRD ”...guns kill people, then cars cause wreaks, knives prepare meals, matches set houses on fire, spoons make people fat, and pencils miss spell words”

But of all those items, the only one that is designed to do solely what you say they do is a gun. The purpose of a gun is to kill.

SQUEEKY2's avatar

@zenvelo Boy that gets as old as Wulfies hate for Democrats, Firearms have evolved over the years, a $10,000 Trap shotgun is hardly practical in a combat situation.
The same for silhouette pistol.
The firearm was first invented for war, but so was a bow and arrow, a Javelin (spear) and those are used in sport every day.
But again focus on the gun and not the mentally ill person using it in mass shootings.

zenvelo's avatar

@SQUEEKY2 But if mentally ill people can’t get a gun because guns are restricted , then they won’t use one in mass shootings. Get rid of the fucking hand guns and assault weapons and rifles. But the SCOTUS won’t allow that; meanwhile you stay safe up in Canada with your trap gun.

Repeal the Second Amendment.

SQUEEKY2's avatar

@zenvelo here in Canada we have very restricted gun laws,and we still have shootings.
There are gang shootings all the time in the larger cities,how is that most of those guns are blackmarket guns.
Your theory just punishes the law abiding firearm owner ,and doesn’t strike at the problem.
Mentally ill people need help and affordable help.

JLeslie's avatar

It’s a bunch of things in the US. Availability of guns, insufficient mental health help for people who need it, more and more financial disparity, poor living conditions, social media and leaders who encourage violence. The list goes on.

To think the attitude about guns doesn’t matter is ridiculous to me. I’ve lived in places where everyone brags about their guns and constantly talks about gun rights and ownership is high, and places where no one talks about guns and ownership is relatively low. The braggers are where I feel the least safe, and it is the least safe.

MrGrimm888's avatar

Guns are undeniably a variable. To me, guns are just another symptom. Not the disease…

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