Michigan State University Students Shot And Killed Have Been Identified As Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser, And Alexandria Verner

Three students were tragically killed in a shooting that took place on Monday evening at Michigan State University. The shocking news comes several months after four University of Idaho students were brutally murdered in their off-campus home.

The MSU victims have been identified by police as Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser, and Alexandria Verner. Anderson, 19, was a bright sophomore student at the university and had plans to become a pediatric doctor. Her aunt, Kimella Spivey, said Anderson was involved in extracurricular programs and was working with senior citizens. "This is so unbelievable," said Spivey. "When does it stop? Really? I mean, it's one after the other after the other."

The man who murdered the three victims also injured five other individuals. The perpetrator – 43-year-old Anthony McRae – shot and killed himself when police confronted him after the catastrophe took place Monday evening. “He definitely was a paranoid schizophrenic, we know that for a fact,” his uncle, Timothy Mcrae, said. In 2019, Anthony McRae was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, according to the Ingham County court records.

A statement by the Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety that appeared in local news says, "The Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety (MSU DPPS) is saddened to share information regarding the tragedy that occurred on campus Monday evening.

We cannot begin to fathom the immeasurable amount of pain that our campus community is feeling. We want to ensure our community that our department as well as our law enforcement partners will conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation regarding this tragic incident. Five victims remain in the hospital in critical condition. Two of the deceased victims have been identified as the following: [sic]

In respect to the family’s wishes, will not be releasing the third victim’s name at this time. We sincerely ask the media and community members to respect the families’ privacy.

The first call reporting an active shooter took place at 8:18 p.m. at Berkey Hall. A shelter-in-place was immediately put into place for campus and the surrounding community. The MSU Alert system and MSU Emergency Operations Center were both immediately activated. Officers from all across the state responded to campus and began to complete a comprehensive search in attempt to locate the suspect.

The suspect was captured on campus security cameras at approximately 11 p.m. The suspect photos were disseminated across MSU DPPS social media channels and through our media partners at 11:18 p.m. Because of the quick release of photos, a caller’s tip was able to lead officers to the suspect at approximately 11:35 p.m., only 17 minutes after the release of the photos.

We sincerely want to thank our community for their active efforts in helping us locate the suspect. This is a prime example of how ‘See Something, Save Something’ is effective and works to help keep our community safe. The suspect has been identified as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

We know this news may be difficult for those within our campus community and beyond. It’s important to remember that the grief some individuals may be experiencing is normal and there are a number of ways in which individuals can seek support, including talking with friends, family and colleagues to process this. Resources are listed below and are also available at the Hannah Community Center on Abbot Road in East Lansing.

Effective immediately, Michigan State University is now operating under modified operations/services for today, Feb. 14 and Wednesday, Feb. 15. We will resume normal operations on Thursday, Feb. 16th. All campus activities including athletics, classes (in person and remote), and all campus-related activities remain suspended. Functions designated as essential under a department’s Business Continuity Plan (BCP) will continue and critical employees with essential functions must report to work.

We will stand together as a community and support one another during this difficult time."

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