The United States gun control issue has terrorized communities across the country for multiple years now. Monday the thirteenth was just another one of these saddening incidents. It was reported that eight people had been shot, 3 of them fatally. 

The gunman of this tragic event was identified to be forty-three-year-old Anthony McRae. He had no connection to Michigan State University or any of the victims. Police questioned him on suspicion of being their number one suspect. Shortly after, he wrote a 2-page note and took his life in front of the police. This was not McRae’s first gun incident; back in 2019, he was found to be in possession of a firearm that was not a handgun. This did not, however, ban him from being able to own handguns, and the gun that he used in the shooting was purchased legally, but it was said not to have been registered. The message could reveal that his motive for the shooting could have been related to mental health issues. 

Happenings like these beg the question of when the madness will end. It feels like every month, more and more people lose their lives because of careless incidents caused by irresponsible people. 

Students close to the chaos described the terror going through the building of Berkey Hall. Students explained that people attempted to break windows and leave the building after they had been placed on a four-hour lockdown for their safety. In scary moments like these, people’s desperation and fear get the best of them and could put them in even more danger. 

The three students fatally injured were all from suburban Detroit. Their names were Brian Fraser, 20, Alexandria Verner, 20, and Arielle Anderson, 19. The other five wounded students were placed in the hospital in critical condition, and one was recently reported to be stable. The four other victims are told that their situation will improve. Two of the five injured students are from China. 

There is no simple resolution to solving these problems. 

For instance, taking away access to firearms would make the situation worse. Guns were initially allowed access to the public as a way for self-defense. Still, people are forced to defend themselves against weapons, the thing that should be protecting us. The only way to keep yourself and others safe from scary instances is to pay attention to your surroundings and know your fastest escape route.