Resurfaced Clip Shows Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet Making Light of Michigan State Shooter During 2023 Senate Hearing

A resurfaced video clip shows Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), who at the time served as a Michigan state senator, appearing to make a lighthearted reference to the Michigan State University shooter during a State Senate committee hearing in early 2023 — just weeks after the mass shooting that killed three students and wounded five others. The clip has drawn renewed scrutiny as McDonald Rivet now serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Michigan’s 8th Congressional District.

The February 13, 2023, shooting at Michigan State University was one of the deadliest campus attacks in the state’s history. A 43-year-old gunman, Anthony McRae, opened fire in two campus buildings — Berkey Hall and the MSU Union — before fleeing and ultimately dying by suicide after a confrontation with police. The three students killed were all in their late teens and early twenties, and the five survivors faced lengthy and painful recoveries, with several suffering traumatic brain injuries. The attack sent shockwaves through the East Lansing community and across Michigan, prompting vigils, memorial services, and renewed calls for gun violence prevention legislation at both the state and federal levels. The Michigan State Senate, where McDonald Rivet served at the time, was among the legislative bodies that took up gun safety measures in the aftermath, including red flag laws and expanded background check requirements that were eventually signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The context of the remarks is critical to understanding the public reaction. Making any lighthearted reference to a mass shooting — particularly one that occurred just weeks prior and in the same state the lawmaker represents — is seen by many as a serious lapse in judgment and sensitivity. For families of victims who were still processing their grief and for survivors undergoing rehabilitation, flippant comments from lawmakers can compound trauma. At the same time, defenders of legislators in such situations sometimes point out that humor in stressful legislative environments can be inadvertent or taken out of context. As of this reporting, the full context of the exchange — including what prompted the remark and how other senators responded — is being examined. McDonald Rivet’s office has not issued a widely circulated public statement addressing the specific clip.

The resurfacing of this clip comes at a politically charged time, as McDonald Rivet is now a freshman member of Congress navigating a narrowly divided U.S. House. Opponents may seek to use the footage in future campaign cycles, while supporters may argue it is being weaponized out of context. Regardless of partisan framing, the episode raises broader questions about the expectations placed on elected officials to maintain appropriate decorum when discussing tragedies — particularly mass shootings, which have become a recurring and deeply painful feature of American public life. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were more than 600 mass shootings in the United States in 2023 alone. How lawmakers speak about such events — whether in formal floor remarks, committee hearings, or casual exchanges — is closely watched by constituents, advocacy groups, and victims’ families alike. The coming days will likely determine whether McDonald Rivet addresses the clip directly or whether it fades from the news cycle amid other congressional developments.