Who is Anthony Dwayne McRae? Officials identify Michigan State University shooting suspect

Michigan State University shooter was identified as Anthony Dwayne McRae (Images via Twitter @/IqaluitIqaluit9 @/gvtricks)
Michigan State University shooter was identified as Anthony Dwayne McRae (Images via Twitter/@IqaluitIqaluit9, @gvtricks)

On Monday night, a gunman, who was later identified as Anthony Dwayne McRae, opened fire at Michigan State University. The shooting reportedly left three students dead and five others in critical condition.

The 43-year-old man was later found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His body was found at 11.35 pm, a little over three hours after he first opened fire on the East Lansing campus.

According to local authorities, Anthony Dwayne McRae had no affiliation with the university whatsoever - he was not a student, faculty member, or staff member. Local police are yet to identify the motive behind the tragic shooting. A weapon was also recovered but no further details regarding the type of firearm have been released by the police.

On Tuesday, MSU Police Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman said:

"We have absolutely no idea what the motive was at this point...[McRae] had no affiliation to the university — he was not a student, faculty or staff, current or previous. I know everybody wants to know what the motive is. We don’t have an answer right now, that’s the honest truth."

Michigan State University shooter Anthony Dwayne McRae reportedly had a criminal history

Following the identification of the Michigan State University shooter, the Michigan Department of Corrections revealed further information about the gunman. They alleged that the suspect was previously charged with possession of a loaded firearm in 2019.

In June 2019, McRae was arrested after he was found in possession of a loaded gun near an abandoned building without having a concealed weapons permit. He pleaded guilty to the charges against him and was on probation for almost two years, from October 2019 to May 2021.

The Michigan Department of Corrections stated that Anthony Dwayne McRae did not run into issues while on probation and never had a positive drug test. Apart from the 2019 conviction, McRae accumulated four counts of driving with a suspended license from 2006 to 2008.

The victims of McRae's bloody rampage were all students, and according to trauma surgeon Denny Martin, the five injured individuals remain in critical condition. MSU Police Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman praised the quick response to the shooting. He said that there was an "overwhelming police response" immediately after the first shots were fired in an academic building known as the Berkey Hall.

Following the shooting, several survivors have come forward with their experiences. A survivor told the Today show on Tuesday that Anthony Dwayne McRae had silently burst through the back door of her classroom and opened fire on the 20 or so students inside. Claire Papoulias remembered hearing "three or four gunshots directly behind" her head. She told the NBC show:

"At that moment, I thought I was gonna die. I was so scared."

At a news conference, Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin expressed her "rage" about the situation and said:

"I am filled with rage that we have to have another press conference to talk about our children being killed in our schools. If this is not a wake-up call to do something, then I don't know what is."

Governor Gretchen Whitmer called the gun violence epidemic a "weekly American problem" and called for immediate action as she said:

"We are all broken by an all too familiar feeling. We cannot keep going on like this. Words are not good enough. We must act and we will."

Most of Anthony Dwayne McRae's relatives have not been available for a comment and the investigation is currently ongoing.

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Edited by Adelle Fernandes