April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

The Superintendent of Howell Public Schools issued a statement to families, sharing sympathies to those impacted by Monday night’s shooting that killed three students and injured five more.

Superintendent Erin MacGregor sent out the email below:

Last night's tragedy at Michigan State University (MSU) is devastating. As a school and community, we have many connections to the MSU community. I know that Highlander Nation shares our deepest sympathies and support for the students, faculty, and families impacted by last night's events.

When a tragedy like this occurs so close to our home, it can send ripples through the community. Our team is ready to support our students in whatever way we can. If you feel your child needs additional support during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out to their school counselor to request that they check in with your child.

Events like this are often hard to discuss with our children. If you wish to speak to your child about what happened yesterday, you may find the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) website to be a helpful starting point. Non-specific safety conversations may be more appropriate for our younger students and may begin with presentations such as these found on the Johns Hopkins site for K-2 and 3-5 safety in schools.

In light of last week's "swatting" incidents and now this tragedy, we must remember that we all play an essential role in keeping our students, staff, and community safe. Please take a moment to speak with your children about the importance of reporting any concerns to our building administrators, a school resource officer, a trusted adult in the school, or through the OK2Say program.

In closing, I ask that you keep the entire MSU community in your thoughts.

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A link to the NASP website can be found at the provided link. WHMI will keep listeners updated as we learn more on this story.