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 apparent connection to the East Lansing school. The rampage began about 8 p.m. on Feb. 13 when shots were fired inside a classroom at Berkey Hall on the north end of campus. Police believe McRae then walked into the nearby student union building firing more shots.
Students were ordered to shelter in place for four hours and — “run, hide, fight” — if necessary as the campus was placed on an hourslong lockdown.
Police put a photo of McRae on social media at 11:18 p.m. A 911 call was received 17 minutes from someone who saw a person matching McRae’s description in Lansing. McRae shot himself in an industrial area about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from campus at 11:49 p.m. when approached by officers.
Detectives also 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.
“Comprehensive reviews and detailed follow-up” shows that “McRae acted alone and was not working with other people,” authorities said.
Police initially said it appeared from the note that McRae felt he had been slighted in some way by people or businesses, adding that he had no connection to the victims or the school and had worked at a grocery chain warehouse.
Police said Friday that their investigation continues. McRae’s route once he left the campus still is being reviewed.
About 1,450 911 calls were made to the county’s dispatch center from the start of the shooting to 1 a.m. Feb. 15, police said. It wasn’t clear how many of the calls were related to the shooting.
Killed were Arielle Anderson, 19; Brian Fraser, 20; and Alexandria Verner, 20, all of suburban Detroit.
Michigan State has said that starting Monday access to most buildings on campus will be restricted at night. Students, faculty and staff will need to use campus ID cards to get electronic access at buildings, between 6 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. on weekdays. The school said it wants to make it possible to lock 1,300 classrooms from the inside by the fall semester.
The campus is about about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.
The shooting happened the day before the fifth anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that killed 17.
In 2019, McRae was accused of illegally possessing a concealed weapon, according to the state Corrections Department, but pleaded guilty to having a loaded gun in a vehicle, a misdemeanor. He completed 18 months of probation.
