EAST LANSING, Mich.(WXYZ) — The Michigan State University community is reeling after a deadly mass shooting Monday night left three dead and five injured, all students. The suspected gunman also died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“We’re all broken by an all-too-familiar feeling. Another place that is supposed to be about community and togetherness shattered by bullets and bloodshed," Governor Gretchen Whitmer said during a Tuesday morning press conference.
Whitmer ordered flags lowered until further notice to honor all victims.
MSU Police and Public Safety say the first calls came in around 8:18 p.m. Monday, reporting a shooting at Berkey Hall on the northern side of campus.
Good Morning America talked to an MSU student who says students inside his classroom were injured.
“The shooter came into our room and shot three to four times," said Dominik Molotky, an MSU student. "I didn’t see anything, because I was hiding,”
Police say the situation then moved to the MSU Union, where more shots were fired.
Two of the deceased victims were found in Berkey Hall, along with several injured. Police found an additional deceased victim at the MSU Union.
When 7 Action News crews arrived on the scene Monday evening, some students ran to them seeking shelter. One student told 7 Action News reporter Brett Kast she was inside Akers when her brother called to tell her there was an active shooter.
"Everyone started running and screaming," she said.
The student and her friend said they didn't know where to go. They said they ran towards the news van because of the lights of the police units nearby.
"People think these things aren’t going to happen to them until they do," said another student.
Katie Danna is a freshman at MSU, her dorm is just two buildings away from the Union. She said she and her roommates barricaded in their dorm, anxiously watching dozens of police and first responders flooding the campus.
"Even someone, like, closing their door was scary to hear," she said.
Hospital updates victim's conditions
A representative from Sparrow Hospital got emotional Tuesday as he shared that the five injured students remain in critical condition, adding that four of the had undergone surgery in the hours following the shooting.
"We are devastated at the loss of life," said Michigan State University Interim President Dr. Theresa Woodruff.
The suspected gunman has been identified as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae. Police have not yet been able to identify any affiliation with the university.
Police located McRae at around 11:45 p.m. in Lansing thanks to a tip caller who recognized him as the suspect from the released photo. As he was approached by police, McRae took his own life.
Police recovered a weapon at the scene. A search warrant was then executed at the location of the suspect's home. At this time, the motive of the shooting is still unclear.
Officials respond in press conference
Leaders and police gathered Tuesday morning to provide updates on the shooting.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin pushed for more people to come to the table to ensure safety in our schools, noting that Michigan endured the deadly Oxford High School shooting in November of 2021.
“The most haunting picture of last night was watching the cameras pan through the crowds and seeing one person wearing an Oxford Strong sweatshirt the sweatshirts that were handed out after… those kids lived through a school shooting 15 months ago," Rep. Elissa Slotkin said at the morning press conference.
Identities of Deceased Students Confirmed
According to family members, 19-year-old Arielle Diamond Anderson and 20-year-old Brian Fraser were two of the three victims killed in the mass shooting. Fraser was a sophomore.
Clawson Public Schools said another victim was Alexandria Verner, a junior at Michigan State University and a 2020 graduate of Clawson High School.
RELATED:'If you knew her, you loved her.' Victim in MSU mass shooting was graduate of Clawson High School
Arielle and Brian were both graduates of the Grosse Pointe Public School system. Arielle's family tells 7 Action News that she loved children and wanted to be a pediatrician one day.
The Clawson superintendent describes Alex as an incredible student loved by everyone.
"She was a tremendous student, athlete, leader and exemplified kindness every day of her life! Her parents, Ted and Nancy, and sister Charlotte and brother TJ are equally grieving but are certainly already feeling the uplifting support of this tremendous community. She started at Baker Preschool, moved on to Schalm Elementary School, and finished at Clawson Middle and High School. If you knew her, you loved her and we will forever remember the lasting impact she has had on all of us," the superintendent wrote in a letter to CPS families.
The university is offering students mental health resources throughout the day and week and are encouraging students to call 517-316-8200 for services. Support is being offered at the Hannah Community Center.
If you have any information that could help law enforcement during their investigation, please call 844-99-MSUPD or email tips@police.msu.edu.
