What was Anthony McRae's motive? Chilling note reveals MSU gunman targeted schools and church
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN: A shocking note found from Anthony McRae, the Michigan State University shooter, revealed that he targeted the Ewing, NJ, school district, a church, local businesses, and the university where he shot and killed three students, on Monday, February 13.
The 43-year-old gunman claimed he was the "leader of a group of 20 killers." The shooting victims were identified as Alexandria "Alex" Verner, Brian Fraser, and Arielle Diamond Anderson. After he opened fire at the campus, McRae died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
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What was Anthony McRae's motive?
According to police, he has also listed the Meijer warehouse. He felt "slighted" and among his targets, he recently worked at the warehouse. Michigan State Police's Lt Rene Gonzalez said, “It appears that he had some issues with the employees there and he was asked to leave. So it looks like possibly a motive for that was he just felt slighted, that’s kinda what the note indicated.”
He said, “It appears based on the content of the note that he felt that he was slighted in some way by people or businesses. Did a mental health issue amplify that or was it a component of that? We are not sure at this point … It’s a question on all our minds,” reported New York Post.
Was Anthony McRae a 'paranoid schizophrenic'?
McRae's uncle Timothy McRae described the shooter as a “paranoid schizophrenic," but his father denied the charges made on Wednesday, February 15, saying that McRae had previously not been diagnosed with any issues relating to his mental health. However, he revealed that following the death of McRae's mother in 2020, he turned "evil".
Despite that chilling note that claimed him being a leader of a "group of 20 killers," police conclude that McRae acted alone, as per the news outlet. Gonzalez explained that McRae's "father said he had no friends. He pretty much sat in his room — he ate and went to the bathroom in there. He had no friends, let alone 20 of them.”
McRae faced a misdemeanor weapons possession charge
At the time of McRae's death, he had two 9mm handguns and in his backpack, he carried eight loaded magazines of ammunition. His breast pocket contained a ninth-loaded magazine and investigators confirmed that he also carried two empty magazines. At the time of the horrifying shooting, neither gun was registered though the weapons were purchased legally. He was able to make the purchase after the completion of parole for a 2021 charge over misdemeanor weapons possession.
The MSU shooting incident left three dead and five others injured. As of Thursday morning, the injured victims remain in the hospital and one patient who was in critical condition is now listed as stable, confirmed police sources, according to New York Post.