Brother of Michigan State University shooting suspect Anthony McRae: He 'secluded himself'

Christine MacDonald and Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
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The older brother of the suspected gunman in the Michigan State shootings said he doesn’t “have a clue” what prompted Anthony McRae’s shooting spree on campus Monday night.

“This just don’t seem real, that he would be able to do anything like this,” Michael McRae, 45, told the Detroit Free Press the morning after the violence. “I am still trying to process this whole thing.”

A house linked to 43-year-old Anthony McRae, the suspect in the campus shooting at Michigan State University that left three dead and multiple injured is seen on East Howe Avenue in Lansing on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.
A house linked to 43-year-old Anthony McRae, the suspect in the campus shooting at Michigan State University that left three dead and multiple injured is seen on East Howe Avenue in Lansing on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.

Police are left without answers as well, saying they don't know why Anthony McRae, 43, allegedly walked into two campus buildings and opened fire. He had no known current or past ties to the university, authorities said. After police made contact with him, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot.

His brother “stayed to himself” and they had grown apart over the years, the older brother said.

Michael McRae lives in the state of Delaware. The brothers grew up in New Jersey. But Anthony McRae and parents moved to Lansing about 20 years ago after his father transferred from General Motors in New Jersey.

More:Police: Suspect in Michigan State shooting had no clear ties to university

More:Suspect identified in Michigan State University shooting: 3 dead, 5 in critical condition

Anthony McRae pleaded guilty in 2019 to a misdemeanor weapons charge in Lansing, according to court and Michigan Department of Corrections records. Chris Gautz, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Corrections, said he successfully completed about 19 months of probation; MDOC successfully discharged him In May 2021.

Anthony Dwayne McRae, 43, is accused of carrying out a mass shooting Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing.
Anthony Dwayne McRae, 43, is accused of carrying out a mass shooting Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing.

Last time the brothers spoke was at their mom’s funeral two years ago in Lansing and the conversation “wasn’t good.”

Anthony McRae had no children, no spouse and no friends his brother knew of. He worked at warehouse jobs in Lansing.

“He stayed to himself,” Michael McRae said. “He kind of secluded himself.

“Definitely a loner.”

Michael McRae learned what happened from their father earlier on Tuesday.

While the brothers' relationship was rocky, he would "never in a million years" have imagined something like what happened Monday night.

“I am deeply sorry for this whole thing,” said Michael McRae, who plans to travel to Lansing to be with his father.

Contact Christine MacDonald: cmacdonald@freepress.com or 313-418-2149. Follow her on Twitter: @cmacfreep.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Brother of MSU shooting suspect Anthony McRae: He 'secluded himself'