Michigan State University has agreed to pay nearly $30 million in total to three students who survived the shooting on campus in 2023, with three other students killed, lawyers announced.
The university agreed to pay $14.2 million to Nathan Staley, 23, who was shot in the head during the February 13, 2023 attack. $13 million was 22-year-old Yuka (John) Hao, paralyzed after being shot in the back. Growal Law's lawyers and Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman said $2.5 million was announced to Troy Forbush, 24, who was shot in the chest, in a news release announcing the settlement.
The settlement came after negotiations between the university's lawyer and the three men. He notified the university in 2023 about a potential lawsuit.
In a statement, the university declined to comment on the settlement details, but said “We really hope that reaching a resolution will help provide some relief, support and care to the affected individuals and their families.”
Authorities say the gunman was later identified as Anthony McRae, 43, and a fire broke out at Barkey Hall before 8:30pm, killing two students. He then moved to the Michigan State Student Union, where he killed a third student. Two buildings, a few separate Grand River Avenue, were unlocked and open to the public.
After a three-hour manhunt, McRae was found off campus around 11:30pm and died of a self-harm gunshot wound.
In December 2023, the university reached a $15 million settlement with the families of the killed student. The three killed were Ariel Diamond Anderson, 19, a sophomore from Harper Woods, Michigan. Brian Fraser, 20, sophomore from Gross Point, Michigan. And Alexandria Berner, 20, a junior from Clawson, Michigan, has suffered serious injuries to five other people.
All three survivors in the settlement on Tuesday suffered major life-changing injuries, according to the lawyer.
Statly, a junior studying environmental biology and zoology at the time of the shooting, suffered a traumatic brain injury. “When he lost his chances for an opera career, Forbush pursues a double major in music education and vocal performance, is Mick Grewal of Grewal Law, who represents the two men.
Hao, a junior and junior student in economics, is now a paralyzed, his lawyer William Ascourt said in an interview Tuesday.
“This settlement brings a world of difference to all three of these young people,” Azkul said.
He added that the three men “are waking up every morning and sleeping every night in this unresolved kind of controversy, giving them the opportunity to do it without knowing whether things can move forward in their lives.
Grewal said that the school initially denied liability and argued for government immunity “as with most universities and most institutions,” but ultimately “decided to do the right thing and handle this on its own.”
Azcour praised all the lawyers involved in reaching the settlement, noting that it took more than two years to resolve the issue without going to court.
“It really helped that Michigan was represented by an experienced legal counsel. “Not just my clients, but my clients too.”
Kirsten Noyes contributed to the research.
