Michigan State University to add locks to classroom doors, cameras after campus shooting

Michigan State University will add locks to more than 1,300 classroom doors by fall as part of a sweeping plan to improve campus safety in the aftermath of a shooting that claimed the lives of three students and injured five others.

"The actions we are outlining today position us on a path to reclaim our sense of safety that was so violently taken away from our community,” MSU Interim President Teresa Woodruff said, announcing the plan Wednesday. “These steps will provide more robust security on campus while better preparing our community to respond in these unfortunate situations.”

The announcement follows an investigation by the Detroit Free Press, a member of the USA TODAY Network, that found gaps in campus security and a student petition calling for locks on all classroom doors.

MSU Police Chief Marlon Lynch said a few days after the shooting February 13 that the university was in the process of implementing upgrades to its security camera monitoring system at the time of the shooting. The inability to track the shooter in real time on security cameras, combined with the onslaught of calls and reports flooding the emergency management system, contributed to a delay in finding the gunman.

Adding locks, cameras, active shooter training

Here at the steps being taken, as outlined in a note to the campus community:

• Tighten building access. Currently, most buildings on campus are open to anyone during the day and into the evening hours, locking from 11 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. and requiring key card access during the locked times. Beginning March 13, these buildings will require key card access by current students, faculty or staff members from 6 p.m. until 7:30 a.m.
• Add door locks: MSU has more than 1,300 classrooms on campus, many without locks. Students raised the issue following the shooting and called for locks on classroom doors. The school said it would add the locks by the fall semester.
• Install more cameras: MSU currently has more than 2,000 cameras already in place around campus and plans to add more to areas that do not have adequate coverage, including academic buildings and all Green Light phones. MSU Police and Public Safety is continuing its request for proposal and enhancement plans to better centralize the monitoring of all campus cameras, including the new ones.
• Implement mandatory training: MSU will change Active Violent Intruder Training from voluntary to mandatory by the start of the next academic year for all employees and students.

Go deeper:

'There's no way we're ready':Michigan State students return to class a week after shooting

'Our Spartan hearts are broken':Police seek motive for Michigan State University shooting; 3 students killed are ID'd

Updates:Clashing gun messages at site of Michigan State vigil; thousands mourn slain students

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj