GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. (WXYZ) — "I haven't grasped it yet. She was just with me the weekend," said April Davis, grandmother of 19-year-old Michigan State University student Arielle Diamond Anderson. "She was beautiful."
Arielle was one of three students shot and killed Monday night on campus by what police have said was a lone gunman. The shooter took his own life as police were closing in on him.
"If he was going to kill himself, he should have just did that without killing the others," said Kimella Spivey, one of Arielle's aunts.
Family and friends of the MSU sophomore gathered Tuesday, some still in disbelief that the beautiful young lady who aspired to be a physician was killed while at school.
"Out of 50 (thousand) or 60,000 people? Never could imagine it could be that 1% chance," Davis told 7 Action News. "We never imagined that."
In Grosse Pointe, the school district's superintendent had no idea that Arielle was among those killed in East Lansing.
Jon Dean said, early Tuesday, word had only traveled through Grosse Pointe South High School that Brian Fraser, a 2021 graduate, had been killed.
Brian was 20 years old and the president of his fraternity Phi Delta Theta at MSU.
Late Tuesday morning, Brian's sister, Micaela Fraser said the family does not want him remembered as a victim but rather the light that he was to everyone.
As time passed by Tuesday, the superintendent said word was spreading that Arielle, a graduate of Grosse Pointe North High School, had also been killed.
"I had a parent say, 'Jon, this has to be wrong.' And I said I wish it was wrong," Dean told reporters at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
The district is making crisis counselors available for anyone who needs to talk.
"I was in this meeting at South and I start getting information about this situation at North. And I'll be honest with you, I thought somebody crossed their wires," he said. "You know, we've got two high schools in a small community, maybe the kids at North were confused."
But, sadly there was no confusion. The gunman had taken two students they knew and also Alexandria Verner, a 2020 graduate of Clawson High School.
Arielle's mother is a long-time colleague to those at Comerica Bank. And late Tuesday afternoon, the family released the following statement through Matt Barnhart of Comerica Corporate Communications in Michigan:
The following statement is from the Family of Arielle Anderson. Her mother, Dawana Davis, is a long-time colleague of Comerica Bank.
“We lost our precious daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend, Arielle Anderson. She means the world to us. As much as we loved her, she loved us and others even more. She was passionate about helping her friends and family, assisting children and serving people.
“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.
“As an Angel here on Earth, Arielle was sweet and loving with an infectious smile that was very contagious.
“We are absolutely devastated by this heinous act of violence upon her and many other innocent victims.
“While we appreciate the outpouring of the love, support, and prayers we have received thus far, we are grieving and hope that you respect our family’s wishes to remain private at this time.”
