Michigan State Shooting: Suspect Dead After 3 Killed, 5 Wounded

An active shooter killed three people and injured five more in two shootings at Berkey Hall and the student union on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing, Michigan, on February 13, 2023, according to MSU Police and Public Safety.

The suspect was 43, died in Lansing, and he had no ties to campus, police said in a final news conference, indicating they don’t know why he came to campus to commit the crime. He has been identified as Anthony McRae. The victims were all students, police said. Their names haven’t been released.

Scanner audio indicated that a person matching the suspect’s description shot himself when police approached. In a late news conference, Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman confirmed that the suspect is dead, likely of a self-inflicted wound. Police lifted the shelter-in-place order, he said.

Rozman said in his first news conference that shootings broke out in multiple locations on campus involving a single suspect. The shootings started at 8:18 p.m. at Berkey Hall on campus, Rozman said. Police received multiple 911 calls and responded within minutes, he said.

“UPDATE: There are 3 confirmed fatalities. This is in addition to the 5 victims who have been transported to the hospital,” MSU Police and Public Safety tweeted. Rozman said all five remain in critical condition.

Officers located “several victims of a shooting,” Rozman said in the news briefing. Reports then came in of a second shooting scene at the union “immediately following the first incident,” Rozman said.

“Initial information is that the suspect is a Black male, shorter in stature, wearing red shoes, a jean jacket and a ball cap,” Rozman said in the news conference. The suspect’s name is not publicly known.

Rozman said the suspect was last seen leaving the union on foot, Rozman said. Police obtained surveillance video showing the suspect, he said.

Here’s what you need to know:

Two People Were Killed at Berkey Hall & One Person Died in the Union, Police Say

In the later news conference, Rozman said that authorities are still investigating what type of gun the suspect used and whether he had anything on him, such as a bag, when found.

Two of the fatalities were at Berkey Hall, and one person was killed at the union, Rozman said. He did not know where the five wounded people were shot. He said police are not sure whether the suspect had ties to campus and are working to confirm his identity. He did not released information on the victims, including whether they are MSU students. He said authorities had not received any threats in recent days.

Rozman commended the students for their response and said many students escaped because they followed instructions to run, hide, and fight.

“We have absolutely no information right now” on the motive, Rozman said. He said “hundreds” of law enforcement officers responded to the scene. According to Rozman, authorities are still investigating whether the suspect had any ties to campus. Rozman did not release any information on the victims, including whether they were students, and he said authorities are still working to identify the suspect’s name.

Rozman confirmed that the suspect was contacted by law enforcement off campus before he shot himself. He said the scene where the suspect was found was being considered a crime scene.

Students posted on Facebook that they were safe. “i’m okay. barricaded in a friends dorm. lights are off, dresser in front of door. please pray for me and all of my friends up here. we are terrified ❤️” wrote one.

Officers Said on the Police Scanner That the Active Shooting Was in a Classroom & People Had a Doorway Barricaded

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In the initial scanner reports, available on Broadcastify, officers were told to head to Berkey Hall. “Active shooting at Berkey Hall. Multiple victims at this time,” an officer told the dispatcher.

Police found multiple victims in two different Berkey Hall classrooms, according to initial scanner audio. You can listen to the audio later in this article, but be forewarned that it’s graphic and disturbing. Some people were trying to “get out a window,” a dispatcher said in the audio.

The shooter was described on the scanner as “possibly a Black male wearing a mask carrying a handgun” who was “last seen on foot toward the union.”

“Shooter’s in the hallway right now,” an officer said in the dispatch audio.

An officer said on the scanner that multiple people were shot, the active shooter was in a hallway, and people were shot in a classroom. One victim was shot in the head and wasn’t breathing, according to the initial scanner audio.

You can listen to later scanner audio here:

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“I’ve got potential shots fired to the west,” an officer said on the scanner.

There were people shot in two rooms, a dispatcher said, and people had the door barricaded.

The shooter was then described as being in the union building and in the cafeteria. He was wearing a blue mask and was described as short.

Be aware that initial scanner reports can sometimes contradict or even be wrong in the chaos of the moment.

The suspect’s motive is not clear.

Students Were Instructed to Shelter in Place & ‘Run, Hide, Fight’

An MSU alert shared on the university’s website read: “MSU Police report shots fired incident occurring on or near the East Lansing campus. Secure-in-Place immediately. Run, Hide, Fight. Run means evacuate away from danger if you can do so safely. Hide means to secure-in-place, and Fight means protect yourself if no other option.”

The alert was issued at 8:31 p.m. eastern time, the page says.

MSU’s page containing updated alerts can be found here.

You can listen to live scanner audio here through Broadcastify.

In the scanner audio, police were spoke about witnesses and getting students to safety. The Broadcastify alert read, “[LE/Active Shooter] Mass Shooting scene, Michigan State University.”

“MSU ALERT: There have been shots fired near Berkey Hall on the East Lansing campus. Please secure-in-place immediately. Police are active on scene. More information to follow,” Michigan State University police wrote on Twitter on the evening of February 13, 2023, in their first dispatch.

Police then wrote, “There is another reported shooting at IM East. Police are responding. There are multiple reported injuries. Media staging area is currently being determined.”

“UPDATE: IM East is being secured. It appears there is only one suspect at this time,” police later wrote.

Police Were Seen With Rifles Keeping People Away From Windows, Reports Say

According to WLNS, a tense scene unfolded on campus.

“Michigan State Police troopers were seen with rifles instructing people to stay inside and away from windows,” the site reported.

Seven medics were being sent to Berkey Hall, a dispatcher said in the scanner audio.

Rozman said there were false reports of different shooting scenes. He encouraged people to follow MSU police for information.

Photos claiming to show a suspect who made threats against MSU on Facebook using the name Lynn Dee Walker or Lynn D Walker are fake. Walker is not the suspect.

Video Showed a Massive Law Enforcement Response to the Scene

Video shared on social media showed a large law enforcement response to the campus.

According to the university’s website, Berkey Hall is “located on the northern boundary of campus.”

Berkey Hall “is home to the College of Social Science, the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, and the Department of Sociology. Each have a rich tradition of research, high-quality teaching, and engagement programs and opportunities for students,” the website says.

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