INGHAM COUNTY, Mich. – A fundraiser has been created for one of the 911 dispatchers working the night of the Michigan State University mass shooting.
The first call reporting shots fired on campus came in at 8:18 p.m. Monday night. Eight students were shot in two locations on the northern edge of campus.
For more than three hours, dispatchers fielded calls from students, staff and community members on and near campus. There were numerous reports of shots fired, reports of people screaming, and people reporting seeing the gunman.
Police have only confirmed gunfire in two locations on campus: Berkey Hall and the MSU Union. Three students have died and five are hospitalized. The gunman was found at 11:35 p.m. at an off-campus location in Lansing. He killed himself.
The voices heard on the police scanner that night remained calm and direct during a very tense situation. Aimee Barajas was one of those voices.
Barajas posted the following statement on social media:
At the end of the post, Barajas asked for the community to contact their local and state representatives “and tell them that 911 Dispatchers should be classified as first responders.”
Click here and here to find contact information for your representatives.
A GoFundMe page has been created to show appreciation for Barajas’ work that night. Click here to donate.
Read: Where to donate in wake of Michigan State University mass shooting