Victims in Michigan State shooting were all students

— All eight victims of a mass shooting Monday that left three of them dead and five critically wounded on Michigan State University’s campus were students, police said early Tuesday morning as they continue to search for answers about the 43-year-old gunman’s motive.

MSU police identified two of the three victims as Brian Fraser, a sophomore from Grosse Pointe, and Alexandria Verner, a junior from Clawson.

The third victim, Arielle Anderson, was identified by her family. She was a graduate Grosse Pointe North High School.

Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the MSU police department, said early Tuesday morning that two students were fatally shot at Berkey Hall while the third victim was at the campus student union building.

The five wounded remain in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital. Four needed surgical intervention and one did not, said Sparrow’s Chief Medical Officer Denny Martin.

The suspected gunman’s name is Anthony McRae. Criminal records show McRae, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, had a previous misdemeanor firearms conviction in November 2019. He was released from probation supervision in May 2021, court records show.

Rozman said police are still trying to determine a motive.

“That’s what we’re trying to understand — is why this incident occurred,” said Rozman.

MSU police released photos of the suspect Monday evening, and shortly after, someone called police to report they had seen the man in Lansing, Rozman said. Police confronted the man, and he shot himself. Police recovered one weapon from his body, but would not confirm if search warrants on his residence turned up anything.

At an emotional news conference Tuesday morning where many wiped away tears, MSU Interim President Teresa Woodruff said the Spartan community is grieving.

“Together, we will come back more resilient than ever,” Woodruff said, “and more ready to face what is needed in this society which is the courage of all of us to ensure this never happens again.”

The MSU campus was operating on an essentials-only status Tuesday and today. Classes will remain canceled until Monday.

PAUL SANCYA/AP PHOTO A student kneels Tuesday where flowers are being left at the Spartan statue on the grounds of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. A gunman killed several people and wounded others at the school. Police said early Tuesday that the shooter eventually killed himself.