Michigan State University Shooting Leaves Three Dead and Five Injured
Michael Morano
International/U.S. News Editor
A shooting at Michigan State University has left three dead and five injured while authorities still search for a motive.
The incident occurred on February 13 where eight people were shot, leaving three of them dead. The university alerted the students and faculty as they took shelter in dorm buildings and other areas of campus. The shooter was found dead off campus from a gunshot wound after a three hour manhunt. All eight victims were students, with the three killed identified as Brian Fraser, Alexandria Verner, and Arielle Diamond Anderson. The other five wounded were taken to a nearby hospital. The shooter was identified as 43-year-old Anthony McRae, who was not affiliated with the university according to police.
While a motive is still unclear, police had found two handguns with McRae along with multiple rounds of ammunition. He had previously been convicted of a misdemeanor gun charge for unregistered handguns in 2019 but was still allowed to keep them. One of the buildings where the shooting took place, Berkey Hall, will be closed for the rest of the semester, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Thomas Jeitschko said in a news conference. Two of the students sent to the hospital remain in critical condition and another was upgraded to stable, while the others are described as in serious but stable.
Classes at the university were cancelled for the rest of the week, Jeitschko also announced. Interim President Teresa Woodruff stated that the university will pay the full amount for the funerals of the three students killed, as well as the medical bills for the others injured. A fund has also been set up in order to help those impacted the most, Woodruff also said. With over $250,000 raised so far, the money will also be used for counseling services and safety enhancements. The university held a vigil on February 15 at The Rock, a Michigan State landmark, where thousands of students attended. Tom Izzo, the university’s basketball coach since 1995, was also there. “With a shared commitment to help each other, and a promise to remember those we have lost, we will learn to find joy once again,” he said. The university’s archrivals Michigan have also paid a tribute to the victims before a basketball game between the two schools. Students also took part in a protest on the steps of the state Capitol in Lansing in order to call for more gun reform laws.
Contact Michael at michael.morano1@student.shu.edu