MSU releases settlement amounts with families of 3 students killed in mass shooting

EAST LANSING — Michigan State University negotiated a $15 million settlement with the families of the three students killed on Feb. 13, according to records obtained through a public records request to the university.

Families or estates of victims Alexandria Verner, Arielle Anderson, and Brian Fraser each will receive $5 million. This settlement is the result of "extensive settlement negotiations over many months," said Ven Johnson, who represented the families of Anderson and Fraser.

In December, MSU approved the settlements, but declined to discuss the terms. In original legal agreements with Anderson and Fraser the school also included language requiring families to not disclose the settlements, but that language was struck in agreements signed by Johnson and released to the State Journal by MSU.

Johnson said that the families of Anderson and Fraser, both from Grosse Pointe, will use their settlements in a way that "honors their children" but final plans haven't been made. The Verner family has said their share of the settlement money will help them continue their daughter's legacy and increase their scholarship fund.

As part of the settlement, MSU denies "wrongdoing or any liability of any kind."

MSU's Board of Trustees unanimously voted on the agreements with the families on Dec. 15.

The university declined to comment further Wednesday, but referred to comments made by Republican Trustee Dan Kelly during the Dec. 15 board of trustees meeting.

"While no amount of compensation can ever replace the loss of a life, we do hope this brings some closure, support and relief to these impacted families," Kelly said during the meeting. "The university gives its deepest condolences to each of the three families, and we are committed to ensuring the memory of their child is not forgotten in the Spartan community."

David Femminineo, the attorney for the family of Alexandria Verner, held a press conference in Mt. Clemens on Dec. 15. He confirmed the Verner family, of Clawson, received $5 million from the university, although the university at the time declined to confirm the amount. The university had previously declined to confirm the settlements.

"This case was never about blaming Michigan State University for the tragic events of 2/13/23," Femminineo said at the time. "From the outset the discussions with MSU General Counsel Brian Quinn centered around how MSU can support the Verner family moving forward beyond 2/13/23. The Verner family did not seek to blame MSU for the death of their daughter. Instead, the Verner family has sought answers as to how this could be prevented in the future."

Johnson said the families were happy with the settlement negotiation concluding before the one-year anniversary of the campus shooting.

Four out of the five students wounded in the attack have filed public notices to of intent to sue the university, but no settlements have been announced.

The university has not yet announced plans for the memorial for the victims of Feb. 13. Interim president Teresa Woodruff said on Dec. 15 that more information will be released to the public after Jan. 1, but the planning process is ongoing.

Guerrant said in a text that she is anticipating the university "will be sharing more details next week as students return to campus" for spring semester.

Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com, or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @sarahmatwood

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU releases settlements with families of 3 students killed in shooting