EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State University’s response to a mass shooting on campus in February 2023 has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that some law enforcement officers and agencies refused to participate in an outside review of the university’s handling of the tragedy. A draft of the review, initially presented to the university’s board and top administrators, contained findings that were later reworded or removed from the final version of the report, which was publicly released on Oct. 11, 2023.
The outside audit, conducted two months post the shooting, commended the response of MSU police officers and local agencies on the scene but noted that the firm conducting the review was unable to interview some officers. The draft version of the report stated that some officers and agencies “refused to participate,” while the final version stated that the firm was unable to interview some law enforcement officers.
The identities of those interviewed for the review were kept confidential by the firm, Security Risk and Management Consultants (SRMC). However, the firm did not respond to requests for comment on who refused to participate, leaving many local police departments and federal agencies that responded to the shooting in the dark about their exclusion from the review.
Moreover, the 26-page review has faced criticism for its relatively short length and lack of depth compared to reviews conducted for other schools that were sites of mass shootings. It failed to address specific details of the shooting that have been widely critiqued, such as the 13-minute gap between the gunman firing and the emergency alert being sent out.
The university paid SRMC $193,840 to conduct the review, raising questions about the thoroughness and impartiality of the findings. The revelations have sparked concerns over the lack of trust and transparency in the review process, as well as the need for a more comprehensive and critical analysis of the university’s response to the tragic event.
As MSU continues to grapple with the aftermath of the shooting, the controversy surrounding the outside review has brought to light the challenges in evaluating the effectiveness of the university’s emergency response and the need for greater accountability in ensuring campus safety and security for the future.