Who is MSU shooter Anthony McRae's dad? Michael says son turned 'evil and mean' after mom's death in 2020
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN: The father of alleged Michigan State University gunman Anthony McRae has spoken up about the deadly shooting that took place on Monday, February 13. McRae, 43, killed himself hours after the shooting that left three dead and five in critical condition. Two of the deceased have been identified as Brian Fraser, a sophomore, and Alexandria Verner, a junior.
His father, Michael McRae, has now explained how his son became "evil and mean". Michael said McRae found it difficult to cope after his mother, Linda, died. His demeanor and outlook towards life "changed," according to Michael. Linda died of a stroke on September 12, 2020.
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At least 3 dead and multiple injured in shooting at Michigan State University
“He was a mama’s boy. He loved his mom. They were tight. His mom was like his sister," Michael said of the alleged gunman, according to NBC. “Everything happened so fast." McRae quit his job at a warehouse after her death. "He was grieving his mom. He wouldn’t let it go. He got bitter, bitter and bitter,” Michael said. “His mom died, and he just started getting evil and mean. He didn’t care about anything anymore."
Who is Michael McRae?
Michael was married to Linda for 45 years. After she died, he tried to encourage his son to apply for jobs and seek counseling. He also asked McRae to attend church with him.
"I said, 'Talk to Daddy. Let me know if something is on your mind. If you need help, I'll get you help'," the father said. "He said, 'I'm OK, Dad, I don't need help." Michael said he is a "man of God" and said he reads from the Bible every day. Besides McRae, he has two other children.
"He was a good kid, don't get me wrong," he said. "But you never know what your kid will do when they walk out the door." Michael said he did not know why McRae targeted the campus but believes he may have been trying to apply for a job there.
Michael said he did not know where McRae got the firearm for or what he needed it for. He said he told his son, "We don’t need no guns in this house." McRae, Michael said, told him he would get rid of the gun. However, he never let his father enter his room in the house they shared in Lansing, Michigan. "I said, 'I hope you got rid of that gun, man.' And he said: 'Yeah, I got rid of it. I got rid it'. He didn’t."
Michael said he learned that his son went on a killing spree after local police and the FBI arrived at his home the same day. "Wow, oh my God," he said. "I really don’t believe it, but I know it’s true." Michael said McRae never had a history of violence. "He wasn't like that," he said. "He was no danger to nobody like that. He never did anything crazy like this."