EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Rock, a monument on the Michigan State University campus, has been repainted for the third time in two days, now bearing the names of the students killed in Monday’s mass shooting.
On Monday, a mass shooting took the lives of three MSU students and critically wounded five others. The alleged shooter, 43-year-old Anthony McRae, died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the shooting, according to police.
The three students who were killed have been identified as Brian Fraser, Arielle Anderson and Alex Verner.
The morning after the shooting, The Rock was painted black with the message, “How many more?” in reference to those killed in mass shootings across the U.S.
Early Wednesday morning, it was painted over a second time with a pro-gun message: “Allow us to defend ourselves & carry on campus.”
Since then, three MSU students painted over The Rock for the third time with the names of the victims and the phrase, “To those we lost, to those healing.”
The Rock has a long tradition of being painted and repainted on a frequent basis. The messages displayed on the boulder range from birthday messages and proposals, to memorials and words of protest.
The conflicting messages reflect the ongoing struggle in the U.S. surrounding gun control. Since the shooting, President Joe Biden has called for stricter gun laws, saying he’s committed to passing more gun legislation. Michigan Democrats have also pushed for more gun control.
Michigan Republicans have argued that laws restricting access to guns would not help prevent mass shootings, and that mental health care and additional school security should be prioritized.
A vigil will be held at The Rock Wednesday at 6 p.m., where both school and student leaders will speak.
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