EAST LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Three days after an active shooter wreaked havoc on Michigan State University and university officers put their lives on the line to protect students, the community is showing their gratitude.
Inside the MSU police breakroom, there are flowers, bagels, cookies, and a refrigerator full of salads, and meals.
Outside of the breakroom the overflow of food continues, there's been so much food donated they've had to put some of it in a refrigerator truck outside.
On one of the walls outside the breakroom, police staff have printed out kind tweets and posts on social media and created a gratitude mural with them.
Lt. Kim Parviainen with Michigan State University Police told 7 Action News, "Midday I was coming to pick up my lunch and I saw that mural for the first time and it kind of made me want to cry, but it also made me feel good."
Parviainen's office is at the Union on the MSU campus, one of the buildings targeted by the shooter Monday.
She said that night, "I have never seen so much bravery from these officers, there was no hesitation. There were so many calls of shots fired that we all just rushed to."
She remembers one officer in particular, not affiliated with her department, "There was one person we came in contact with from a neighboring agency and he was in shorts and a t-shirt. He was part of a neighboring agency and was working out at the Powerhouse Gym in East Lansing when he heard that something happened and he didn’t even have his firearm with him, but he drove to campus."
On another wall at the department, there are dozens of pictures with messages of thanks drawn by Dimondale Elementary School students.
Communications Manager for MSU Police & Public Safety, Dana Whyte said, "It’s just been a non-stop flow of food and support."
"That’s the one thing that truly makes me kind of emotional," said Parviainen. "On Tuesday there was just a woman standing in our parking lot with two bags full of treats and a card on top and she was just waiting for an officer to walk out into the parking lot and she just wanted us to have something."
Just like thousands of others, the university officers are trying to work through the trauma from February 13. They're also continuing to protect campus as they do so.
It's heavy work that support like this makes a bit lighter.
"A lot of officers have this mentality that they don’t like to ask for help or ask for anything," said Parviainen. "We truly are a profession dedicated to service but to see the community come and give us some service in our time of need, it’s overwhelming."
