On Tuesday, Michigan State officials identified Anthony McRae, a 43-year-old man with a history of mental health problems and previous gun-related charges, as the suspected gunman responsible for killing three people and injuring five others on campus. McRae was found dead off-campus, having apparently taken his own life with a gunshot wound.
Ewing Police Department in New Jersey announced that a note was found on McRae suggesting a threat to two public schools in their township, where he had lived previously. Police investigated the threats and found that McRae had a history of mental health problems.
McRae, who was described as a “hell-raiser” by his Lansing neighbors, had a recent history with firearms. Michael McRae’s father revealed that he had encouraged his son to get rid of his guns.
In June 2019, Anthony McRae was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed pistol without a permit. He was also charged with possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle in October 2019.
McRae pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle in October 2019, and the felony charge was dismissed. He was sentenced to 12 months of probation in November 2019, which was extended by six months in October 2020 to allow him to complete the terms of the probation order. McRae’s probation ended in May 2021.
