President Morales shares thoughts on MSU active shooter

By Celeste Santarrosa Editor in Chief

Michigan State University, known for being one of the country’s biggest, greenest campuses and home to the mighty Spartans, fell victim to a mass shooting catastrophe with three dead and five critically wounded.

On February 13, identified suspect Anthony Dwayne McRae, 43, opened fire on two parts of campus, Berkey Hall and MSU Union.

At 8:18 p.m., the first call reported an active shooter at Berkey Hall, located on the northern boundary of campus. Officers across the state arrived at the university building within minutes and found several victims with life-threatening injuries, counting two dead. Instantly, another shooting was reported at MSU Union, where officers found a third victim.

MSU officials sent a blast text message at about 8:30 p.m. to alert students. “Secure in place immediately,” the messages said. “Run, hide, fight.”

Michigan State Police, Meridian Township police, and the Ingham County Sheriff’s office, including its regional special response team, worked with on-site MSU campus police.

MSU police reported on-campus security cameras recorded McRae at approximately 11:00 p.m.

“The suspect photos were disseminated across MSU DPPS social media channels and through our media partners at 11:18 p.m. Because of the quick release of photos, a caller’s tip was able to lead officers to the suspect at approximately 11:35 p.m., only 17 minutes after the release of the photos,” said the MSU Department of Police and

Public Safety.

MSU students shared footage on a social media platform, TikTok, describing the chaos of the mass shooting.

TikTok posts showcased: students barricading their dormitory door with cabinets hiding in the dark, watching the news muted for the latest updates; students fleeing in a stampede in fear for their lives; and students expressing the unfairness of living through 2021 Oxford High School’s mass shooting 15 months ago and finding themselves living through the experience again.

Students hid in classrooms, dormitories, and cars for four hours until officials announced that McRae had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

On February 15, a communal vigil was held at MSU to grieve the trauma and maintain remembrance of those victims.

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