The same terrible story, this time in Buffalo

May 15, 2022

To the members of the MIT community,

On a day of unspeakable suffering for the people of Buffalo, New York, I write simply to express what I expect many of us are feeling: the overwhelming sorrow and exhaustion that, again, in our own nation, someone set out, with a twisted, righteous hatred, to murder a group of innocent unarmed strangers targeted simply for the fact of their identity. At a grocery store in Buffalo. At a synagogue in Pittsburgh. At a church in Charleston. At a mosque in California. At a nail salon in Atlanta. At a nightclub in Orlando. And so many more – so many that we have all lost count. As I write, I have just learned of another mass shooting today, at a church in Laguna Woods, California.

In a world full of so much that we cannot control, let us focus on what we can: caring for and comforting each other in a time of grief and pain.

So that members of our community can come together in mutual support, the MIT chaplains, the Institute Community and Equity Office and other campus partners are planning a vigil on campus Tuesday evening. You will hear more once the details are set.

And as always you can access the full suite of our campus support services for students and for employees.

With deepest sympathy,

L. Rafael Reif


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