MSU shooting update: Victims identified, gunman’s motive, future threats [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Police identified the three students who were killed in Monday’s mass shooting inside the Michigan State University campus.
• Police found a note in the suspect’s pocket containing threats against two schools in New Jersey and that there were “20 of him” who will carry the shootings out.
• The shooter was charged in 2019 for carrying a concealed weapon without a license.

Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety identified the three students who were killed in Monday’s deadly shooting inside the campus.

The three victims are Arielle Diamond Anderson, Brian Fraser, and Alexandria Verner.

Anderson, a 19-year-old junior from Grosse Pointe, had dreams of becoming a pediatric surgeon. Her family told CNN that “she was working diligently to graduate from Michigan State University early to achieve her goals as quickly as possible.”

Fraser was a sophomore from Grosse Pointe and was studying business and was the chapter president of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. “Brian was our leader, and we loved him,” a Phi Delta Theta social media post read.

Verner, 20, a junior from Clawson was described as a “tremendous student, athlete, leader and exemplified kindness every day of her life.” She was studying forensics at MSU.

The suspect was also identified as a 43-year-old named Anthony Dwayne McRae, according to police. He was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound when police confronted him hours after the shooting on campus Monday.

The motive for the rampage remains under investigation.

According to a CNN report, investigators found a note in McRae’s pocket containing threats against two schools in Ewing Township, New Jersey. The schools were temporarily closed on Tuesday out of an abundance of caution.

McRae, who grew up in New Jersey, also noted that there were “20 of him” who will carry shootings out, according to a source familiar with the investigation. Police said the “investigation revealed that McRae had a history of mental health issues.”

According to the shooter’s father, Michael McRae, his son became bitter, isolated and “evil angry” after his mother’s death two years ago and “didn’t care about anything no more.”

Ingham County court records reveal that McRae was charged in 2019 for carrying a concealed weapon without a license. However, the felony count was dropped after he pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge for possession of a firearm in a vehicle.

As the investigation continues, five students remain hospitalized in critical condition.

Classes at MSU are canceled for the remainder of the week and will resume Monday, Interim President Teresa Woodruff said. 

Source: CNN