MSU victims to be laid to rest this weekend • Dem's new gun reform push • Dozens of cars broken into
FRIDAY NEWS HIT - After a difficult week for Michigan and especially those in East Lansing, another phase of mourning begins as family and friends continue reconciling with the violence that tore through Michigan State University this week.
Funerals for two of those killed in Monday night's shooting will be Saturday, while the service for the third victim is still being arranged. There are also vigils honoring all the deceased this weekend as well.
Alexandria Verner, 20, Brian Fraser, 20, and Arielle Anderson, 19, all died after being struck by gunshots fired by a 43-year-old man. Police are still trying to untangle why the Lansing man was driven to such a choice.
And while the investigation behind the shooting will continue, families and friends will also be looking for closure and a means navigate the emotional turmoil that gun violence has wrought at MSU this week.
Verner's visitation will be Friday from 4-9 p.m. and a scripture service is scheduled at 8:30 p.m. Her funeral is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. Both events will be at the Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Clawson.
Fraser's visitation is also on Friday from 3-8 p.m. at the Verhedyen Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe Park. The funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe Farms.
Anderson will be honored during a candlelight vigil Saturday night in Grosse Pointe.
Democrat lawmakers vow action on gun reform
On Thursday members of the Michigan Senate -- many of whom are graduates of Michigan State -- had their first opportunity to react to the tragic events of Monday night.
The Senate session began with silence in memory of the three Spartans killed and the five who are fighting to stay alive in the wake of the mass shooting on the MSU campus all within the shadow of the capitol.
From there, the silence was broken - though many expressed little interest in being quiet for much longer. Many were angry and gave impassioned speeches. They also vowed to bolster current laws while promising to pass new ones as well.
"For those who say it is too soon, they we need to heal first and should not be talking about legislation now, I reject the notion that we can not do both," Sen. Majority Leader Winnie Brinks said. "I ask you to join me to do everything in our power to do both love and legislate in the coming days and weeks."
Read more of what lawmakers had to say here.
Dozens of cars vandalized in Detroit
At least 24 cars parked in the northern section of Detroit on Brush had their front windows shattered during a serial robbery attempt. One resident said he had never had his car broken into. Then to his horror, his car was among dozens that were vandalized.
"It's not like this is an upscale neighborhood - we're in the north end - if you live in the north end - you know what goes on around here. Because you're stealing from people who don't have anything," Nate Taylor said.
Taylor was one of many people who awoke in his apartment building to the shattering of glass. A manager at the apartment who saw surveillance footage of the incident saw a man with a large wrench briefly at an intersection before running into the building.
Detroit police are investigating the incident, but no one has been arrested.
'Perfect storm' led to Karl's Cabin fire, restaurant owners say
It was a "perfect storm" that led to the blaze that burned much of Karl's Cabin, the iconic log cabin-themed restaurant in Plymouth. A fire that broke out at the eatery around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday had started at the back entrance, at the employee smoking station, a post from the restaurant's Facebook account said.
According to the restaurant, high winds spread it to a storage container and then to the backside of the building. The resulting fire caused severe damage to several parts of the restaurant, including the dish tank, walk-in coolers, banquet room, and offices above the cabin.
Despite the fire happening during peak business hours, no one was injured and fire crews managed to put the fire out before it leveled the rest of the building. Due to the rural location of Karl's Cabin Restaurant & Banquets, the responding fire departments needed to truck in their water to put out the blaze. There were no nearby fire hydrants.
The cleaning process has already begun, but the restaurant owners say it will take a while to reopen. However, the plan is certainly to reopen.
Read more about the fire here.
How Michigan basketball will honor Michigan State during rivalry game
This Saturday, the Michigan Wolverines will host the Michigan State Spartans at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. But this game won't be your typical Wolverine-Spartan rivalry game: U-M has many different things planned to honor and support their in-state rivals.
Michigan Athletics announced that Saturday's rivalry game will pay tribute to the Spartans and their students as the university figures out how to heal from this week's tragedy.
It will start with the team. UM's basketball team will wear specially designed team warm-ups that will recognize MSU. The university didn't provide further details on this display.
For fans, they'll have 2,000 specially designed shirts for the Maize Rage and student ticket holders. Before the game starts, they'll have a 30 second moment of silence - which will be paired with the Crisler Center being lit up green and white using programmable LED wristbands distributed to all fans.
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Daily Forecast
Give yourself at least 10 extra minutes to get started getting to work today if you're traveling Friday morning - the ice is thick enough to require some heat before scraping can begin. The same ice will likely make roads and sidewalks slippery as well.
What else we're watching
- PizzaPlex, a Southwest Detroit-based pizzeria known for its sustainable food practices is closing after seven years. Their last day is Feb. 27. Read more here.
- Redford Fire crews saved several occupants caught in a house fire on Feb. 7. Teamwork enabled the first responders to rescue all of those in danger. Video of the incident was posted by the police department this week.
- The Detroit Association of Black Organizations is moving into its new facility The Bridge Center today. They will also announce new partnerships with local colleges designed to benefit the city.
- A train derailment in Van Buren Township continues to snarl traffic as Huron River Drive, which is west of Haggerty, remains closed. It will reopen to traffic Friday night, but not before both federal, state, and local government agencies ensure the area is safe. No contaminants have been exposed.
- The city of Detroit is commissioning 200 murals in neighborhoods across the city. It's part of a larger effort to reform Detroit into a cultural hotbed for art and artistry.
Linkin Park releases previously unheard song featuring late singer Chester Bennington
To honor the 20th anniversary of Linkin Park's second album, "Meteora," which is seven-times platinum, the band released a never-before-heard song featuring the late frontman, Chester Bennington.
The surviving members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Rob Bourdon, Joe Hahn and Dave "Phoenix" Farrell had previously teased the release of the song "Lost," which was released on Feb. 10. The song will also be featured on Linkin Park's 20th-anniversary edition of "Meteora," which will release on April 7.
Shinoda, who co-founded the band in 1996 wrote on Twitter that re-discovering the song "was like finding a favorite photo you had forgotten you'd taken, like it was waiting for the right moment to reveal itself."