Michigan State shooter identified as Anthony McRae, 43; father said he became ‘evil angry’ after mom died

The man who killed three people and wounding five other at Michigan State University before taking his own life has been identified as 43-year-old Anthony McRae.

It’s unclear why he targeted the East Lansing campus, located some 90 miles northwest of Detroit. He was not a student or employee and had no affiliation with the university, leaving authorities baffled as to his motive for carrying out Monday night’s horrifying shootings.

“We have no idea why he came to campus,” said Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the campus police department.

“I can’t even begin to imagine what that motive would be,” he added. “That will obviously be part of our investigation. I know that that is going to be a question that lingers on everybody’s mind. We will do our best to determine that but at this time, we have no idea.”

According to the state Corrections Department, McRae was on probation for 18 months until May 2021 for possessing a loaded, concealed gun without a permit. Police have also noted that McRae has a history of mental illness.

His father, Michael McRae, said he first noticed a shift in the shooter after his mother died of a stroke two years ago.

“Ever since my wife died, my son began to change,” Michael McRae told CNN. “He was getting more and more bitter. Angry and bitter. So angry. Evil angry … He began to really let himself go. His teeth were falling out. He stopped cutting his hair. He looked like a wolf man.”

The gunfire began Monday night before 8:20 p.m. at Berkey Hall, an academic building, and then moved to the nearby student union, a popular gathering spot for snacking and studying.

“Police and emergency responders acted quickly,” Rozman said. “We tended to the victims at both of those scenes.”

Two of those who died were found at Berkey Hall while the third was at the MSU Union. Another five people were taken to a nearby hospital, all of them in critical condition. Four of them required surgery and one did not, said Dr. Denny Martin, who fought back tears during a news conference.

All of the victims were students.

The violence sparked a desperate manhunt late Monday night, with scores of law enforcement officers spanning multiple agencies descending on campus. Amid their search, authorities released an image of the suspect, resulting in a tip that allowed them to locate him several miles away at an industrial site in Lansing.

The suspect “was contacted by law enforcement off campus,” Rozman explained, and “it does appear that that suspect has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

A weapon was also recovered, but he did not provide additional details.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — a Michigan State graduate — said she was heartbroken by the bloodshed, adding that President Biden pledged his support during a phone call.

“Our Spartan community is reeling today,” she told reporters at a press briefing Tuesday.

“We mourn the loss of beautiful souls and pray for those continuing to fight for their lives,” Whitmer, a Democrat, added. “Another place that is supposed to be about community and togetherness shattered by bullets and bloodshed.”

With News Wire Services