EAST LANSING, Mich. — A group of mental health professionals from West Michigan is extending their services to those impacted by the mass shooting on the campus of Michigan State University Monday night.
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services deployed a team of 20 therapists and counselors who have specialty training in crisis counseling.
They are now able to support students, faculty and MSU community members impacted by the tragedy in East Lansing via a recently established crisis hotline and expanded capacity to host telehealth sessions.
"We were able to work through the night and contact a large number of our therapists and counselors to see who would be willing and able to help," Chief Medical Officer Bill Sanders related. "I think they were eager. They saw this as an opportunity to support the outstanding students at Michigan State University and the faculty there, and a lot of them were willing to open up their schedule and to make those appointments available."
Three students, later identified as Brian Fraser, Alexandria Verner and Arielle Diamond Anderson, died in the shooting. Five others are fighting for their lives in a Lansing hospital.
Authorities said the gunman took his own life as police closed in.
Normal university operations will resume Thursday, Feb. 16. Officials in the hours after the shooting said on-campus classes and activities would be canceled for about 48 hours.
Classes, however — online and in person — are canceled through Friday, Feb. 17. They will resume Monday, Feb. 20.
Counseling and mental health resources are being offered to the campus community through 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Hannah Community Center, located at 819 Abbot Road in East Lansing.
Free and confidential crisis counseling is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the following contacts:
- Students: Call 517-355-8270 and press "1" at the prompt
- Community Mental Health: 517-346-8460
- Pine Rest MSU Crisis Line: 616-559-5895
Michigan State University Deadly Shooting
►Stay up to date with new information on the MSU shooting. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
►LIVE COVERAGE: Michigan State shooting updates
►MSU Shooting Victims: The names of the shooting victims as they become available
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.