EAST LANSING, Mich. – Police have identified the shooter accused of killing three students and injuring five others when opening fire at Michigan State University Monday night.
On Monday, Feb. 13, a shooter opened fire on students at Berkey Hall and the MSU Union, two buildings on the university’s campus in East Lansing. That suspect has since been identified as 43-year-old Anthony McRae -- a man with no known ties to the university.
What happened
Police received the first report of a shooting at Berkey Hall at about 8:18 p.m. on Monday. There, they found two students dead from gunshot wounds, and more students injured.
When responding to the shooting at Berkey, another shooting was reported at the MSU Union, which is nearby. One student was found dead at the Union, along with more injured students.
Three students were killed in total on Monday. Five students were taken to the hospital and were still in critical condition as of Tuesday morning.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers responded to the scene and helped look for the shooter, who was on foot. McRae was located in the city of Lansing at around 11:35 p.m. thanks to a tip from a witness, and was confronted by officers.
The man shot and killed himself at that scene, officials report.
Motive unknown
Michigan State University police said that McRae has no know ties to the university whatsoever. He is not a student, faculty or staff member, and never was, officials said.
Police are still unsure why the 43-year-old man opened fire at the university. No motive is known as of Tuesday morning.
Investigators are working on finding a motive.
What we know about him
Police did not confirm where McRae is from, or what city he resided in at the time of the shooting. They said they were unsure on Tuesday morning.
The man does have a criminal record in Lansing, however.
In June 2019, McRae was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, according to state records. He pled guilty to the charge in 2019, and was sentenced to one year of probation. He was discharged from probation in May 2021 after reportedly completing the probation terms.
It is unknown if he was living in Lansing, and if that’s why he fled to the nearby city after the shooting on Monday night.
No other details are known at this time.
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