Three Michigan State students were killed in a mass shooting Monday night at the East Lansing school. Five other students were injured in the attack, according to reports from the university. All of the wounded students are in critical condition and receiving emergency treatment at nearby hospitals.
The suspect is a 43-year-old man who was reportedly not affiliated with the university. Authorities say the man is also dead after turning his weapon on himself following the attack. The authorities say they’re still investigating a possible motive after executing a search warrant at a domicile that is apparently connected to the suspect.
The Details
The police have identified the suspect as Anthony Dwayne McRae, a 43-year-old resident of Michigan who had no known affiliation with Michigan State University. He died Monday night after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police recovered a weapon but are unsure if it was the same one used during the attack on the university.
The authorities have not yet shared the names of the victims out of respect for their families. The police are currently searching a residence that has some connection to the suspect, but they haven’t confirmed whether it’s his house or simply somewhere he was staying. Moreover, the authorities haven’t mentioned what McRae’s motive might have been in this violent outburst or why he would choose Michigan State as a target.
Students Call Ordeal “Surreal”
Students who witnessed the senseless and violent attack called the entire situation “surreal.” Dominik Molotky, a Michigan State student who saw the attack, told Good Morning America, “[t]his is a surreal moment for me […] At about 8:15 I heard a gunshot right outside of our […] classroom,” Molotky continued.
“Right after that first gunshot about two seconds later, he came [into] our class and let off three to four more rounds, I was ducking and covering. When it went silent for about 30 seconds to a minute, two of my classmates started breaking open the window and that took about […] 30 seconds to happen. There was glass everywhere.”
Mass Shootings Occurring with Startling Regularity
Many news outlets have reported that there have been sixty-seven mass shootings so far in 2023. As such, there have been more shootings this calendar year than days. This has coincided with a marked increase in gun violence in the US since 2020, with each year seeing more attacks of this scale than the last.
Classes at Michigan State University have been canceled through Monday, February 20.
