Michigan State University Shooting Leaves 3 Dead, 5 Injured

National news reports that a gunman killed three students and wounded five before taking his own life on Monday night on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. The shooting resulted in a full campus lockdown and a three-hour manhunt for the shooter, whom police confronted a few miles away from campus, according to AP News. The shooter has been identified as 43-year-old Anthony McRae, who police said is not a student or staff member of the university.

Local news station WWMT Grand Rapids/Lansing reports that the shooting took place in two locations. Two people were killed at Berkey Hall, an academic building, and one at the MSU Union. Five more victims were hospitalized, some with life-threatening injuries, said MSU Police and Public Safety interim deputy chief Chris Rozman. Rozman said that the first shots-fired call came in at 8:15 p.m. local time and that the Michigan State University Alert System distributed a text message at about 8:30 p.m.

“We have absolutely no idea what the motive was,” said Rozman. “This is still fluid. There are still crime scenes that are being processed, and we are still in the process of putting together the pieces to try to understand what happened.”

Police released a photo of the suspect captured by a security camera at about 11:30 p.m. Rozman said that an “alert citizen” recognized him in the Lansing area and called police. According to Rozman, police confronted the shooter in an industrial area about five miles away from campus, where he turned the gun on himself.

“Anything can happen in the blink of an eye, and I would have never thought that this is something that would happen to me,” said MSU freshman Georgia Gurzick via WWMT. “All of a sudden, it was at my university.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement after police confirmed that the shooter was dead. “Spartans will cry and hold each other a little closer,” she said in part. “We will mourn the loss of beautiful souls and pray for those fighting for their lives in the hospital.”

All campus activities including classes, athletics, extracurriculars have been cancelled for 48 hours, according to Michigan State University Police.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • Ensuring School Bus Safety: Tech-Driven Advancements and Their Impact on Student Transportation

    Parents and school districts have always shared one fundamental, non-negotiable goal: to keep students safe while traveling to and from school. Period. Read Now

  • How Campus Security Became an Art of Disappearing

    Walk across any university campus at 8:47 a.m. on a Tuesday, and you'll witness something remarkable. Thousands of students stream through buildings, carrying everything from vintage MacBooks to oversized coffee cups, lost in conversations about weekend plans or upcoming exams. If the right weapons detection is in place, most will never notice the sophisticated security measures protecting them. This invisibility can represent the highest achievement in modern campus security design. Read Now

  • Torrance USD Standardizes Its Mass Communications

    The Torrance Unified School District is a cornerstone of the Torrance, Calif. community, dedicated to providing a high-quality education that prepares students for success in college, career, and life. Serving a diverse student population, Torrance USD delivers a comprehensive and enriching educational experience from kindergarten through high school. The school district comprises 17 elementary, eight middle, and five high schools, one continuation high school, and one alternative high school.  Read Now

  • How a Rural School District Enhanced Safety, Reduced Vaping, and Improved Efficiency by Modernizing Security

    As educational leaders, our primary mission is creating safe, productive learning environments where our students can thrive. Today, that unfortunately means addressing ever-evolving challenges that range from security threats to the growing epidemic of student vaping, all while managing tight budgets and (for many of us) geographically dispersed facilities. Read Now