In the midst of the shooting that took place at Evans Hall on Saturday night and left 21 year old  Mississippi State University student John Sanderson dead, students are expressing their sadness and concern for the victim and his friends and family.
Johnny Weichel, freshman whose major is undeclared, said he is upset by the incident and the loss of a fellow student.
“I was shocked personally, it hasn’t really hit me yet because I never thought I’d be in the midst of a situation like this,” he said. “I feel terrible for the family of the victim and for the families of the suspects.”
William Fair, junior international business major, said after receiving the news that the shooting had been fatal, he was saddened by the incident.
“Initially I just really felt bad for his family and friends,” he said.
Students have also said they are slightly disquieted by the shooting because violent crime is not common on MSU’s campus.
 
 
Fair said he has always thought campus to be very safe relative to the city of Starkville.
“I feel like campus is probably more of a safe place. I feel like there’s more crime that goes on off campus in Starkville; this is the first incident of its kind,” he said.
Austin Lenox, sophomore risk management, insurance and financial planning major, said he thought MSU is the last place an incident like this would happen. 
“It is so out of character for something like this to happen at Mississippi State University,” he said. “I am very glad the perpetrators aren’t Mississippi State students; it shows that our students don’t do things like this.”
The recent abduction hoax was initially reported to students via the Maroon Alert text message system and could have led students to question the validity of the Maroon Alert text message they received informing them of the shooting on Saturday night.
However, students understood that this situation held life-threatening consequences and the Maroon Alert was to be taken seriously.
Lauren Aycock, freshman kinesiology major, said the thought of this event being fabricated briefly crossed her mind after the initial shock she felt when she received the Maroon Alert.
“It definitely scared me at first; that thought crossed my mind a little later, but this was just so much more serious,” she said.
Shekerra Dawkins, freshman biochemistry major, shared Aycock’s immediate reaction to the news of the shooting.
“I thought about that it could be fake, but I know someone wouldn’t joke about that; I knew it must be real,” she said.
Both Dawkins and Aycock live on campus and said the most unnerving aspect of the shooting is that it took place in a residence hall.
“I was just really shocked that it happened in a dorm where we’re supposed to be safe,” Dawkins said.
Aycock said she is uneasy after Saturday night’s events but knows MSU is not a dangerous place.
“I think things like this can happen anywhere at anytime, but it definitely makes me more cautious,” Aycock said.
Kyle Wegrzyn, freshman insurance/risk management major, lives in Evans Hall.
He said the incident is unsettling because only a courtyard separates his dorm room from where the shooting occurred.
Even though the shooting took place in the building he calls home, Wegrzyn said he thinks Evans is a safe place.
“I’ve never felt unsafe,” he said.
Wegrzyn said he did not think twice about the commotion surrounding the incident at Evans Hall on Saturday night.
“I thought nothing of it,” he said. “They were the quietest shots I’ve ever heard. It sounded like someone dribbling a basketball, and then there was a lot of screaming and yelling.”
Wegrzyn explained loud students causing commotion is not uncommon in Evans Hall.
“There’s always something going on at Evans,” he said. “I hear people yelling every night, so I just blew it off, but this time it really was something.”
Wegrzyn said he does not doubt it was easy for the perpetrators to enter Evans Hall undetected and said he thinks security could absolutely be tightened in residence halls.
“It’s not very strict; pretty much anyone can get in,” Wegrzyn said. “I think if you want to find a way in, you can.”
Hank M. Bounds, Commissioner of Higher Education, released a statement  Monday regarding the tragedy.
“The unfulfilled promise of a young person’s life cut short is always heartbreaking … Mississippi State University’s extensive crisis planning was evident in their swift action and communication to students and the university community through the Maroon Alert system,” he said.
Governor Phil Bryant also issued a statement Monday in response to the incident.
“Those perpetuating these crimes will be apprehended and held accountable,” he said. “Mississippi does not take these instances lightly, and, rest assured, we will continue to provide a safe learning environment for students at all our Mississippi college and university campuses.”
Rhett Hobart, Student Association president, expressed his condolences in a statement issued Monday night.
“As a Bulldog family, we are deeply saddened by the tragic events that took place on our campus this past weekend, and we mourn the loss of a member of our student body,” he said. “It is in times such as these when it is vitally important that we come together and share the bond of loyalty and support that surrounds the People’s University.”