The family of a Michigan State University student who was severely injured in the February mass shooting is finally preparing for him to come home after months of treatment and rehabilitation. They’re seeking some help from the community to make the transition easier.
Nate Statly, a junior at Michigan State, was one of five students injured by a gunman who opened fire at two on-campus buildings on Feb. 13. Three other students were killed that night.
Four students injured in the shooting were released from the hospital one-by-one in the following days and weeks. But the road to recovery has been much longer for Statly, who suffered severe head trauma, according to updates shared by his family online.
Statly remained in the ICU for at least a month after the mass shooting, where he was “fighting daily battles,” his older brother Josh Statly wrote. It’s unclear exactly when he was released from the ICU, but the MSU junior has reportedly been making good progress over the last few months.
On July 17, Josh Statly wrote that his brother’s condition has “vastly improved,” and that Nate has been “talking and laughing again.” He’s reportedly at an inpatient rehab facility, where he’s undergoing physical therapy.
In the meantime, the family has been preparing for Nate Statly to return home, making modifications to assist with his “limited mobility.” They are specifically searching for a wheelchair-accessible van, as they expect Nate will need a wheelchair for the foreseeable future.
“With my parents being at Nate’s bedside 24/7 and managing the house renovations from afar, they haven’t been able to dedicate much time to the searching for such a vehicle. We are hopeful that someone in this amazing community of family and friends may know of recommendations to help us find a van that can help bring Nate to outpatient therapies once we return to our home in Michigan,” Josh Statly wrote on the family’s GoFundMe page and on Twitter.
Anyone with vehicle recommendations is invited to message Josh Statly. Click here to visit the GoFundMe page, where you can message the family and read updates (new donations are currently disabled).
Nate Statly is reportedly studying environmental biology and zoology at MSU. He was planning to work his first internship at a nature preserve on Mackinac Island this summer, according to the family.
“Nate’s a hobbyist, with interests in science, skiing, fly fishing, video games, reading, and running, just to name a few,” the GoFundMe page reads. “He’s the light in our family, he never stops making us laugh, and he is loved by so many.”
Statly was among seven other students who were shot while attending class inside Berkey Hall, an academic building, on Feb. 13. Two of those seven students were fatally wounded. Another student was fatally shot at a nearby building soon after.
Berkey Hall currently remains closed on the East Lansing campus, while the second building involved, the MSU Union, partially reopened in April. Since the shootings, the university has taken several steps to support the community and the families of those hurt or killed that day.
Last month, the university announced its plans to construct a permanent memorial for those killed and injured in the tragic mass shooting. The three victims killed -- Alexandria Verner, Brian Fraser and Arielle Anderson -- were awarded posthumous bachelor’s degrees in their respective fields.
The university is facing legal action in the wake of the shootings, however: The family of Alexandria Verner is suing the school, alleging MSU had a lack of security and a delayed response to the shootings. Shortly after the shootings, MSU adopted new security measures as students and staff returned to campus.
---> Related: The life of a Spartan: Navigating disaster, tragedy amid a pandemic, mass shooting at Michigan State University