Michigan State was supposed to host Minnesota in a basketball game Wednesday night. Instead, Tom Izzo and other leaders in the MSU community spoke at a vigil after a shooting on campus killed Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner and wounded five others.
Speaking to a sea of students, Izzo, who has coached the Spartans basketball team since 1995, decried the gun violence that rocked his community.
"I don't like the place. I don't love the place. I live the place," Izzo said in his speech. "To the families of those who were senselessly taken from us, words seem so hollow right now. To the individuals currently fighting for their lives in a hospital and their families, we're praying for you."
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Izzo and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer visited the injured in the hospital.
"It's no secret that I do wear my emotions on my sleeve," he said. "So I'm not afraid. Our hearts are heavy. Our loss has been great. Our lives have been permanently changed. But with a shared commitment to help each other, and a promise to remember those we have lost, we will learn to find joy once again."
Izzo further condemned gun violence.
"I think everybody spoke that something has to be done in our society. Gun violence is insane right now. We all have a platform. Some are small. Some are high. But we all have a platform. And I hope each and every one of you use your platform to help others. So other families don't have to go what these families are going through now."
— Melvin (@MelkDud22) February 16, 2023
Izzo closed out his comments with a statement of unity: "I appreciate everybody being here. And before you leave, I hope you meet the 10 people around you and become close. The world needs it. Michigan State needs it. The grieving time needs it. I need it."
