money Michigan State shooting victim Alexandria Verner defined 'all that is great,' Clawson official says
EAST LANSING — Alexandria Verner was a kindergartener playing in the youth basketball program he founded when Billy Shellenbarger first met her.
Shellenbarger watched her grow up and become an athlete who played basketball at Clawson High School and a dedicated student who achieved good grades.
"Alex was a special one," he said.
Verner, 20, who graduated in 2020 from Clawson Public Schools in Oakland County was studying forensics at Michigan State University.
She was one of three students killed in the mass shooting on MSU's campus Monday. Police have identified the other victims as Brian Fraser and Arielle Anderson, both of Grosse Pointe.
Five other MSU students were critically injured in the shooting and remain hospitalized at Sparrow Hospital.
Shellenbarger is now the district's superintendent. Like so many, he spent Monday night following news of the shooting on Michigan State University's campus and hoping everyone involved would survive it.
"I finally went to sleep at about 1 a.m.," he said. Staff and family members woke him up at 5 a.m. with news that Verner had been killed.
"Her impact in our district and her impact in our community is so intense and so incredible that the loss really, really hurts a community like ours," he said. "She was certainly a phenomenal daughter, sister, friend, student, leader, student-athlete who truly walked the walk every day and modeled what high character and integrity and kindness was all about in a world where we're void of that, obviously, right now."
Social workers and counselors have been on hand throughout the school district to assist students and staff, Shellenbarger said.
"We brought in mental health experts from other districts, therapy dogs, and really wrapped our arms around our students and staff to ensure that they have what they need," he said. "It's minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour at this point. We just need to get through today."
The school district is planning to honor and memorialize Verner's life, though staff and students are still deciding how best to do that.
Shellenbarger spent time with Verner's family Tuesday morning.
"They're hurting like the rest of us," he said. "The beauty of our community is everybody locks arms and gets shoulder to shoulder real fast and supports everyone and that's what's happening right now."
Shellenbarger spent part of Tuesday writing a letter to the families of the 1,300-student district explaining Verner's death. Her parents, Ted and Nancy, and sister Charlotte and brother TJ "are equally grieving, but are certainly already feeling the uplifting support of this tremendous community," he wrote.
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"If you knew her, you loved her and we will forever remember the lasting impact she has had on all of us," he wrote.
Contact Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @GrecoatLSJ .
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU shooting victim Alexandria Verner defined 'all that is great'
