Who is Anthony Dwayne McRae? Michigan State University shooter used to post disturbing exorcist photos
WARNING: This article contains information that some people may find triggering or upsetting. Discretion is advised.
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN: On February 13, three students were shot dead and five were critically wounded after a gunman opened fire at Michigan State University. Now the identity of the gunman, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound has been revealed. The shooting was carried out by 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae, who allegedly had no connection with the university.
According to a CNN article, MSU Interim Deputy Police Chief Chris Rozman said “We have absolutely no idea what the motive was. This is still fluid. There are still crime scenes that are being processed, and we still are in the process of putting together the pieces to try to understand what happened.” Immediately after the shooting, the Michigan police department released a snap of the gunman McRae, who was later identified by a citizen in the Lansing area, Rozman said. “That was exactly what we were trying to achieve by releasing that picture. We had no idea where he was [from] at that point,” Rozman added.
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Who is Anthony Dwayne McRae?
Anthony Dwayne McRae opened fire on Michigan State University's campus at 8.18 pm on February 13, shooting dead one student at Union Hall and another two at University's Berkley Hall. According to MSU’s interim president Teresa Woodruff, a shelter-in-place order went into effect soon after the gunshots were fired. “One of the things I’m most proud of is, on a campus this size, how quickly every student, staff, faculty member immediately took action,” Woodruff said at a news conference. “They sheltered in place, and they did so for hours." Reports confirm that McRaw was caught by the police around 5 miles away from the college campus in an industrial area, where he shot himself and died. According to the state Corrections Department McRae was arrested in 2019 and was on probation for 18 months for possessing a loaded, concealed gun without a permit.
According to a Daily Mail article, McRae lived in Lansing with his father. His mother died in 2022. It is not clear what he did professionally but he frequently posted disturbing exorcism pictures and selfies holding the holy cross on social media.
'Mom, I hear gunshots'
The Michigan University shooting comes just 15 months after four children were killed at Oxford High School by Ethan Crumbley. Jennifer Mancini, a parent whose daughter was caught up in both the shootings told The Detroit Free Press, "Mom, I hear gunshots … What's going on?'' Another parent, Andrea Ferguson told Click2Detroit, "I never expected in my lifetime to have to experience two school shootings. There are several kids there that our daughter’s friends with that are going through the same thing. It was like reliving Oxford all over again."