EAST LANSING, Mich. — Students at Michigan State University came together to remember the four Oxford High School students who lost their lives to a teenage gunman last week.
“We're just out here to honor the lives that were lost the Oxford shooting and to show our support for the community,” said MSU student Dhriti Marri.
Some like Marri and Annie Heitmeier weren't personally impacted, but wanted to show their support.
“Even though we personally weren't affected, still having it being in Michigan, it hit close to home,” Heitmeier said “We knew as an e-board, that we really wanted to do something and we wanted to try and honor and support the Oxford community and also the victims.”
For others like Logan Nicks, it was personal.
“Well, I came out with my friends who also graduated from Oxford High School," Nicks said. “I have two little brothers that actually attend there, currently. My dad works there, my aunt and uncle work there, and I've got a cousin that goes there.”
Nicks said he spent hours watching the news on the day of the shooting to make sure his family was okay.
“Once I got the okay, and then I just wanted to know, if anybody else I knew had been affected, obviously, you know, the people you care about always, you know, come to mind first.”
And his weekend back home in Oxford was fill of relief and love.
“It was almost like, when we were together, we could kind of just escape it and just be a family," Nicks said. "So it was nice to, I think, especially for my little brother's, just to take their minds off everything.”
He says his thoughts are with the families of the victims.
“I knew Tate a little bit," Nicks said. "I know his family's older brother is a buddy of mine. And he has great kids. So my heart goes out to his family in particular, just because I know I know them and I know they're struggling.”
Nicks said seeing MSU students come together to show their support means a lot.
“I expected pretty much only like Oxford graduates to be here, but it was a lot more people and I appreciate it a lot to know that people care. It helps," Nicks said.
But Heitmeir said more needs to be done.
“Gun violence is something that affects everybody, and it's terrible," Heitmeir said. "So, we really are hoping that our legislators will take gun violence seriously, and look at ways in how to make guns safer, how to make more responsible gun owners, and looking at things like safe storage laws as well.”
For now they're showing their support in any way they can.
“We cannot begin to imagine the amount of grief that their families or their communities are going for them," Heitmeir said. "So, to just know that they have support at MSU and that we're all thinking about them in our hearts."
“I love you guys," Nicks said. "My heart goes out to the families of those that I don't know as well. Stay strong, guys.”
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