Thursday morning Michigan State Police and their partners gave an update everyone had been waiting to hear since Monday evening, when a gunman shot and killed three students and injured five more.
“One of our students has moved from critical to stable condition,” said Dr. Rema Vassar, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “I just want you to continue to pray for those families.”
Four remain in critical condition but one has improved. It was just one of many updates and details given at the press conference in East Lansing.
The biggest question from the moment shots rang out on Monday night on the MSU campus was why? Why did this happen? Why was he targeting Michigan State? Why did he have the weapons that he did?
“We can confirm that the shooter had two hand guns on his person when he was located,” said MSU Public Safety Deputy Chief Chris Rozman.
Police say the suspected shooter, Anthony McRae, was well equipped to do more damage. Not only two hand guns on him but more than 100 additional rounds.
“We have learned that they were purchased legally by the shooter,” said Rozman. “But they were not registered.”
A motive is still not definite or why MSU was a target.
“It does appear from the body worn camera that McRae did not verbalize anything to the officers prior to shooting himself,” said Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez.
McRae didn’t say anything to police but he did leave a two page note in his wallet. While not giving a clear motive, he did have a list of businesses, a New Jersey school district and even a church on a list of targets.
“He had had contact with some of those places. He was an employee of the Meijer warehouse at one time,” said Lt. Gonzalez. “And a couple of the other businesses, it appeared that he had some issues with the employees there. Where he was asked to leave so it looked like he was possibly a motive for that was he just felt slighted.”
MSP say they were able to gather surveillance video from homes and businesses to piece together his journey after the shooting. Fully equipped to do more damage, he seemed to just give up.
“His ending spot at Lake Lansing Road and Larch was just around the corner from his house,” said Lt. Gonzalez. “So it appears that he was just heading home.”
Campus was back to standard operation Thursday but classes are canceled through Sunday. Berkey Hall is going to be closed for the rest of the semester while the MSU Union will remain closed for now, but they are reviewing things to see when it can open.
