(EAST LANSING, Mich.) — Three students were killed and five others were wounded in Monday night’s mass shooting at Michigan State University.
The Michigan State University Police Department has released the names of the young lives lost.
Arielle Anderson
Arielle Anderson was a junior from Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
Her family remembered her as a “precious daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend” in a statement shared Tuesday evening through her mother’s employer, Comerica Bank.
“As much as we loved her, she loved us and others even more,” the family said. “She was passionate about helping her friends and family, assisting children and serving people.”
Anderson, who was described as “sweet and loving with an infectious smile,” wanted to be a surgeon, her family said.
“Driven by her aspiration to tend to the health and welfare of others as a surgeon, she was working diligently to graduate from Michigan State University early to achieve her goals as quickly as possible,” the family said.
“We are absolutely devastated by this heinous act of violence upon her and many other innocent victims,” the statement added.
Brian Fraser
Brian Fraser was a sophomore, also from Grosse Pointe.
Fraser’s “light shined bright with love, leadership and kindness,” according to a statement from his church.
Fraser was president of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Michigan State.
“As the leader of his chapter, Brian was a great friend to his Phi Delt brothers, the Greek community at Michigan State, and those he interacted with on campus,” Phi Delta Theta said in a statement.
Fraser was on his high school’s swimming and diving team.
“Brian had an infectious smile and sense of humor that could light up the pool deck and bring laughter to the entire team,” the team said in a statement.
Alexandria Verner
Alexandria Verner was a junior from Clawson, Michigan.
Verner was a “tremendous” student and athlete while at Clawson High School, Clawson Public Schools said in a statement.
She “exemplified kindness every day of her life,” the school district said. “If you knew her, you loved her and we will forever remember the lasting impact she has had on all of us.”
Billy Shellenbarger, a family friend and Verner’s high school principal, described her as empathetic, humble and a leader who carried herself with integrity.
“Very, very kind to everyone she came in contact with. Always positive. Incredibly compassionate. Just embodied so many of those things you would want in your daughter, your student, your sister,” Shellenbarger, now the Clawson Public Schools superintendent, told ABC News.
Verner was a forensics major at Michigan State. She was in her lab class at Berkey Hall when she was shot, Shellenbarger said.
Verner is survived by her parents, older brother and younger sister.
Shellenbarger asked others to “be kind, like Al was.”
“Help somebody like Al did. And walk a path of impact like she was doing,” he continued. “And if you can do that in her honor, then we’re taking some steps in the right direction, because that was exactly the path that she was walking.”
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