Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Note from Michigan State shooter says he felt hated, rejected
A man who fatally shot three students and wounded five others on the Michigan State University campus left a note describing himself as being “hated,” a “loner” and an “outcast.”
Anthony McRae, 43, also wrote “I’m tired of being rejected” in the note, which was dated the day before the Feb. 13 shooting and released Friday by police.
“They made me who I’m am today a killer,” the note read. “I’m a person,” and “They hate me why? why? why? why?”
McRae, who lived in nearby Lansing, had no connection to the school. The rampage began shortly after 8 p.m. on Feb. 13 when shots were fired inside a classroom at Berkey Hall, which is easily accessible from Grand River Avenue, a major street in East Lansing.
McRae then fired more shots nearby at the MSU Union, a landmark building where students can snack and study, and the public also can visit. Security video released Friday shows McRae checking his gun as he entered through a rear door.
At 8:30 p.m., an alert went out to students and staff to shelter in place and “run, hide, fight” if necessary. Authorities didn’t know that McRae already had left campus.
Police posted a photo of him on social media at 11:18 p.m. A 911 call was received just 17 minutes later from someone who saw a person matching his description in Lansing. McRae shot himself about 4 miles from campus at 11:49 p.m. when approached by officers.
Detectives found two handguns and ammunition. The note was found in his pocket.
“There’s a group of us, 20 of us and I’m the leader,” also was written on it. “I will be shooting up MSU and some of the other groups will be going to Colorado Springs to shoot up (redacted). Another team of ... group will be going to New Jersey and they will shoot up (redacted) High school and (redacted) Middle school. They hurted me.”
McRae’s claim to be acting with others is unfounded, authorities said Friday.
Police said their investigation was not finished. McRae’s route after he left the campus still was being reviewed.
Starting Monday, access to most buildings on campus will be restricted at night.
No NY bike path verdict:
Jurors deliberated Thursday without reaching a decision in the death penalty phase of a man convicted of killing eight people on a Manhattan bike path in 2017.
The panel had to restart their talks at midday to decide the fate of Sayfullo Saipov after a juror earlier reported that he could not continue after learning that his brother had a heart attack. An alternate juror was added to the jury to restore it to 12 people.
Shortly before noon, jurors started to decide anew whether the 35-yearold Uzbekistan citizen will get the death penalty or will spend the rest of his life behind bars at a maximum-security prison. The addition of a juror required them to scrap the results of 2 ½ hours they spent discussing the matter on Wednesday.
Five hours later, they told Judge Vernon S. Broderick in a note that they would not reach a decision Thursday. He told them they could go home and return Monday.
California storms: More than 9,000 California residents were under evacuation orders Friday as a new atmospheric river brought heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, swelling rivers and creeks and flooding several major highways during the morning commute.
In Santa Cruz County, a creek bloated by rain destroyed a portion of Main Street in Soquel, a town of 10,000, isolating several neighborhoods. Crews were working to remove trees and other debris and find a way for people to cross the creek, county officials said.
County authorities asked the town’s residents to stay indoors. Heather Wingfield, a teacher who runs a small urban farm with her husband in Soquel, said she and her neighbors were, for the time being, trapped in their homes as Bates Creek rushed through what was once Main Street.
“It’s horrible,” she said. “Hopefully, no one has a medical emergency.”
Wingfield said her neighbors’ water infrastructure was also washed out.
Tenn. official apologizes:
Tennessee’s Republican lieutenant governor has apologized after revelations that he interacted on social media to nearly nude photos of a young gay model as well as other posts by the man and other LGBTQ personalities, even as the lawmaker has led a Senate that has passed bills targeting the LGBTQ community.
With Lt. Gov. Randy McNally as its speaker, Tennessee’s Senate has advanced and passed bans this year on gender-affirming care for transgender youth and restrictions on where certain drag shows can take place.
The 79-year-old told WTVF-TV on Thursday that he’s “really, really sorry if I’ve embarrassed my family, embarrassed my friends, embarrassed any of the members of the legislature with the posts.”
France, UK warm ties:
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed Friday to strengthen the military ties between their countries and step up efforts to prevent migrants from crossing the English Channel, at a summit that signaled a thaw in relations after years of Brexit-induced chill.
Sunak traveled to Paris as part of efforts to mend relations with France and other European Union members following the tensions created by the U.K.’s departure from the EU. At a cordial joint news conference, Sunak said his meeting with Macron, the first French-British summit since 2018, marked “a new beginning, an entente renewed.”
It was also a chance to signal to Sunak’s Conservative Party and British voters that the government is making progress on its promise to stop thousands of migrants gathering in northern France from reaching the U.K. in small boats.
Malaysian charges: Former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was charged Friday with corruption and money laundering, making him Malaysia’s second ex-leader to be indicted after leaving office.
Muhyiddin, 75, pleaded innocent to four charges of abusing his power to obtain $51.4 million in bribes for his party and two charges of money laundering involving $43 million. His party said he is expected to face an additional charge on Monday.
Muhyiddin vowed to clear his name, slamming the charges as an “evil slander” to embarrass him and crush his Islamic-dominated opposition ahead of state elections. He denied abusing his power to award contracts to selected contractors for bribes, and to approve an appeal by a business tycoon on the cancellation of his tax exemption.