EAST LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Days after the shooting at Michigan State University, hundreds of people gathered on campus to hear from students, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and basketball coach Tom Izzo.
We reached out to Izzo for an interview, but he was heading out of town with his team. However, what he did do for us was speak about the anniversary during a press conference on campus before he left.
“It’s kind of one of those things you kind of remember where you were when you first heard it,” Izzo said. “And say a prayer for the people we lost.”
Izzo knows the fear and heartache that the mass shooting on campus caused one year ago. He took more than five minutes to address it during the press conference.
“I hope we do grieve and I hope we do honor them and I hope we do remember them,” Izzo said.
His son, who plays basketball with the Spartans, called his dad when his girlfriend was trapped inside a building because of the shooter. We talked about that moment, which hit close to home last year.
As he heads off for a road game with his team, Izzo understands all too well the pain and agony many students are suffering on this one-year anniversary, when they reflect on the violence that took three young lives and injured five others, some critically.
“God bless the ones that we lost,” Izzo said. “Please remember, don’t ever forget them.”
His message even one year later is still Spartan Nation is strong and will make it through the heartbreak day by day, one step at a time.
“By all means, I encourage everybody to take a pause, remember it, think about what you can do to help make the situation better,” Izzo said.
Izzo has a big voice and presence on campus. Students and faculty alike look to him for his leadership and guidance.
