Gov. Whitmer on MSU Shooting: ‘We Know that This Is a Uniquely American Problem’

EXCERPT:

WHITMER: “We know that this is a uniquely American problem. Today is the fifth anniversary of the Parkland shooting. We are mere weeks past the Lunar New Year shooting at a dance hall, and a few months past a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, and looking back at a year marked by shootings at grocery stores, parades, and so many other ordinary, everyday situations. We cannot keep living like this. Our children are scared to go to school. People feel unsafe in their houses of worship or local stores. Too many of us scan rooms for exits when we enter them, and many of us have gone through the grim exercise of figuring out who our last call would be to. Last night, a lot of kids on this campus made those calls. They worried for their lives and for their friends, for their fellow Spartans. Parents across Michigan were on pins and needles, calling their kids to tell them that they love them. As parents, we tell our kids it’s going to be okay. We say that all the time. But the truth is, words are not good enough. We must act, and we will. But today, let’s hold the MSU and East Lansing community’s close, and let’s think of the families and friends of those who have lost, those fighting for their lives, and the countless Michiganders whose lives are forever changed by yesterday’s shooting. We will get through this together, and we will do it with the full support of the state of Michigan and the U.S. federal government.”