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911 calls reveal chaos, fear during Michigan State University campus mass shooting

Dispatchers received over 2,000 calls in five hour span

The sheer volume of calls, more than 2,000, the night of an active shooter at Michigan State University was overwhelming.

You can hear how it unfolded in real-time in newly released 911 tapes.

When the first calls from Berkey Hall started pouring in, all you heard were bewildered kids trying to grasp what was happening.

On the other end of the line, 911 dispatchers were calmly giving directions like “barricade the door” and “turn out the lights.”

All while trying to probe for information and find out how many were shot and where; listening to the newly released audio, it becomes clear how hard it is to get that critical information when it’s happening.

It also illustrates how easy it is for people to report misinformation like locations unknowingly.

That night, three people were shot and killed, five others were seriously hurt, and weeks later, one remains hospitalized.

More: Michigan State student shot twice in chest describes experience at gun reform rally


About the Authors
Brandon Carr headshot

Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service.

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