- Michigan State University held remembrance events across campus to mark two years since a deadly mass shooting
- Students gathered at Beaumont Tower to close out remembrance ceremonies
- Video shows students and neighbors reacting to those ceremonies and sharing whether they've moved on from the shooting
Leah Irion couldn't hold her tears back as Beaumont Tower's bells rang in honor of three Michigan State University students killed in a shooting two years ago to the day.
Leah's sister Emma, who graduated last year, attended the ceremony at the tower and hugged Leah when it ended.
"It's still fresh in our minds," Leah said. "I think everyone is affected in different ways whether they're on-campus or not on-campus."
WATCH: TWO YEARS AFTER DEADLY SHOOTING, MSU COMMUNITY HAS MIXED THOUGHTS ON SAFETY MEASURES
The sisters were in their apartment building the night of the shooting. One week before the shooting, their grandfather passed away.
"He was definitely looking over us when [the shooting] happened so that gives us a lot of relief in a sense," Emma said. "That helps us handle the trauma of it all."
On Thursday the university canceled classes but kept all of its buildings open as remembrance ceremonies for the victims were held throughout the day.
WATCH: MSU STUDENT LOOKS BACK ON MASS SHOOTING AS TWO-YEAR ANNIVERSARY APPROACHES
The three victims who died were 19-year-old Arielle Anderson, 20-year-old Brian Fraser and 20-year-old Alexandria Verner.
Irion says she didn't know any of the victims. Nonetheless, she says any student who was on campus that day was affected."
"Do you think you've moved forward?" I asked.
"Accepting what happened, yes," Leah said. "But there's always going to be that scar."
"That grief still lingers two years later," Emma said.
PHOTO: BEAUMONT TOWER LIT GREEN AS CEREMONIES CLOSE ON THE TWO-YEAR MARK OF A MASS SHOOTING AT MSU
People showed up to lay flowers at Spartan Statue, The Rock in East Lansing and the Grand River Ramp.
John Garcia and Jennifer Carden, both of East Lansing, stood at The Rock for 10 minutes just staring as the wind and snow blew around them.
"We just want to honor their memory and to let everybody know that we're together in this," Garcia said.
PHOTO: STUDENTS STAND SILENT AT BEAUMONT TOWER CEREMONY FOR MSU MASS SHOOTING VICTIMS
The words 'Spartan Strong' still echo in East Lansing. But those aren't just words. They're a promise of infinite support for anyone wearing green and white.
"It kind of makes us proud to be part of this," Emma said. "I'm an alumni now and even then I still fell like I'm home when I come to campus."
"Tonight is a standing image of that."
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