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The shooter was identified by MSU Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman as Anthony McRae. According to a report by the New York Post and her obituary, McRae's late mother was born and lived in Trenton.
Screenshots of McRae's Facebook profile circulating on Twitter show he listed Trenton as his hometown. McRae also apparently had local ties to one town in Mercer County, authorities said.
When police found McRae, he apparently had a note in his pocket threatening two schools in Ewing Township, according to Ewing Police on Facebook.
The school district decided to close schools for the day after learning about McRae's struggle with his mental health. However, police later determined that the incident was isolated to Michigan and that there was no ongoing threat to Ewing Public Schools.
McRae opened fire on at Berkey Hall MSU's East Lansing campus after 8 p.m. Monday night before moving to the student union building, MSU Police said in a release.
Both buildings are accessible to the general public during normal business hours. Two of the students killed were found inside Berkey while the other was found inside the student union.
Authorities also said that the gunman had no connections to the university. However, McRae did have a previous firearm offense dating back to 2019, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Notable MSU alumni, including legendary NBA point guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Governor Gretchen Whitmer openly shared their grief over the deadly shooting on social media.
"Cookie & I are devastated to hear about the news of a shooting on Michigan State’s campus," Johnson wrote on his Twitter. "We are praying for the victims, their families, students, faculty, employees & administration."
"Tonight, Spartans will cry and hold each other a little closer," Whitmer said on her Twitter. "We will mourn the loss of beautiful souls and pray for those fighting for their lives in the hospital."
The students who were killed were later identified as Brian Fraser, age 20, from Grosse Pointe South, MI, Alexandria Verner, age 20, from Clawson, MI and Arielle Anderson, age 19, from Grosse Point North, MI, 9and10 News' Eric Lloyd reports.
The five other students remain in critical condition. Several GoFundMe campaigns have been created to help the victim's families. They are listed below:
- Brian Fraser
- Michigan State University Shooting Victims Fund
- Victims Fund From Michigan State Shooting
MSU canceled all campus activities, athletics and classes for Tuesday and Wednesday and will resume normal operations on Thursday, MSU Police said. Counseling and other resources were also being made available to students.
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