Oct. 17, 2023: Feb. 13 after-action review
Dear Michigan State students, families, faculty and staff,
As our university community came together to support one another and process the senseless violence of Feb. 13, we promised that MSU leadership would examine the response and share that work with you. This process has involved students, faculty, staff, law enforcement and external experts. Today, we write to share with you an independent after-action review of the university’s response conducted by Security Risk Management Consultants LLC.
This report concludes that the initial police response “was efficient and effective” and “appropriate, timely and correct.” The review considers matters such as MSU’s emergency protocols, operational response, communications, student and employee support, continuity of operations, organizational recovery and physical security measures.
The report also shares recommendations for improvements. The university has already acted on many of the recommendations, including upgrading electronic building access and door locks; expansion and centralization of campus security cameras; centralization of the security operations center; and improvements to the Family Assistance Center.
We will continue to assess and grow our safety and security capabilities and keep the university community engaged and informed of our progress.
Overall, the review highlights the complexities of that night and the incredible response by first responders, volunteer counselors and others. We are grateful for the dedication of so many as the incident unfolded and their caring engagement in the days, weeks and months that have followed.
Let us continue to keep in our hearts the students we lost that night, those injured, the families, and members of our community who were impacted.
We encourage anyone in need of support to access campus resources.
Sincerely,
Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D. (she/her)
Interim President
MSU Research Foundation Professor
Marlon Lynch (he/him)
Vice President and Chief Safety Officer