Friends of three students killed in Michigan State University shooting are devastated
EAST LANSING, Mich. (CBS) -- A group gathered for a vigil at Michigan State University Wednesday evening, after three students were killed and five were seriously injured when a gunman opened fire at the school.
The group marched from the Spartan statue on the East Lansing, Michigan campus to "the Rock."
Hundreds of students then took a knee to remember the three lives lost, and to keep in mind the five critically injured survivors.
The massacre took place on Monday evening. On Wednesday, CBS 2's Sabrina Franza met students coming back to campus – together with their families for support – to get the things they left behind while they ran for their lives.
Brian Fraser, 20, a sophomore who was president of his fraternity, lost his life in the shooting Monday; along with MSU students Arielle Anderson, 19, a junior who aspired to be a pediatrician; and Alexandria Verner, 20, a junior who was an all-star athlete. All the victims were from the Detroit suburbs.
Students are now trying to start the healing process.
"It's going to be hard for me and all my coworkers, because we all liked working with Brian," said MSU student Andrew Strominger.
Strominger was serving food at the student union when he heard what he later realized were gunshots.
"My first instinct was that some of the coworkers in the kitchen, they were goofing around - like they took a couple metal pans and were banging them together to get someone's attention or something," Strominger said, "but then they're all running, and that's when I realized - this was life or death."
Strominger later found out his friend and coworker Fraser suffered the latter fate.
"He was working in the kitchen, and he got shot and killed," Strominger said.
Freshman Carley Hildebrant knew Verner.
"I came home yesterday because I found out that the girl that lives down the street from me was one of the ones who was killed yesterday," said Hildebrant, "and I've known her basically my entire life."
On Wednesday afternoon, Hildebrant was still in a state of shock.
"I was barricaded in my room with my roommate, and trying to process that this girl that I grew up with – she's just not here anymore," Hildebrant said. "It's just not fair. It's not fair to anybody."
Hildebrant came back to campus with her grandmother to pay their respects.
"She was really, really smart. She played a lot of sports," Hildebrant said. "She's probably one of the sweetest souls that I have ever met."
Meanwhile, students returned to get their property from a student union building that now represents horrific trauma.
The gunman fired the first shots at Berkey Hall, where two of the deceased victims were located. He then fired shots at the MSU Union building, where police said the third victim was found dead.
"I'm so concerned about the people outside that I have not been able to contact many of my friends," said student Enzo Sugameli.
Sugameli was still looking for his phone Wednesday evening. It was lost in the chaos Monday night.
"My sleep been really, really bad," Sugameli said. "I have not slept more than 10 hours in the past 48 hours."
There is a saying at MSU – "Spartans will." Beneath the Spartan statue on campus, a sign now reads: "We will make the change. Spartans will. Let this one be the last."
Then there is the Rock – a mainstay on campus. Less than 24 hours ago, it was painted black, with the words in red, "How many more?"
Now, in honor of the three students lost, the Rock has been painted white.
"This is who we are," said muralist Anthony Lee. "This is who we always will be - those who are with us and those who are not."
There is also another message on it now in MSU green – "Always a Spartan." The names Brian, Arielle, and Alexandria appear below the message.
"'Always a Spartan' - that's cool," Lee said. "but like, I feel like if you have their names, it's directly saying they won't be forgotten, and they always a part of us forever."
While students continue to try to reason with what happened at Michigan State, the FBI and local authorities continue to work to figure out the shooter's motive.
At last check, the remaining five students who were hurt in the shooting are still in the hospital and still in critical condition.
We are told classes will resume on Monday.
