MSU Mass Shooting Suspect Dead, Identified as Convicted Felon Recently Released from Prison

Anthony Dwayne McRae, a convicted felon, has been identified as the perpetrator of the shooting at Michigan State University that claimed the lives of three people and injured five others.

According to officials, McRae committed this violent act before turning the gun on himself.

According to court records obtained by The Detroit News, Anthony Dwayne McRae has a recent history with firearms. He was arrested in Lansing in June 2019 and charged with carrying a concealed pistol without a permit.

This initial charge was a felony that could have resulted in a five-year prison sentence. During the incident, an officer found McRae in possession of a gun and a magazine without a concealed weapons permit. The encounter occurred at approximately 3 a.m. on June 7, 2019 in Lansing.

“He advised the handgun was registered to him. He bought it late March at Capital Discount. He was currently trying to obtain a concealed weapons permit,” said a court document about the incident.

In October 2019, Ingham County prosecutors charged Anthony Dwayne McRae with a misdemeanor for possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle. This came after McRae had already been charged with carrying a concealed pistol without a permit. In the same month, McRae agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge, and as a result, the felony charge was dismissed by the prosecutors.

Scott Hughes, spokesman for the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office said on Tuesday morning, “We have received numerous requests on this matter and are working to respond to these as accurately and expeditiously as possible under the circumstances.”

In November 2019, McRae received a sentence of 12 months probation, which was extended by six months in October 2020 to ensure he fulfilled the conditions of his probation, according to court records. A court order from November 26, 2019, stated that McRae was prohibited from possessing any type of weapon during his probation.

His probationary period ended in May 2021. McRae’s residence, owned by his father Michael McRae, is a 960-square-foot house located on the north side of Lansing, with a chain link fence blocking the front driveway.

According to Paul Rodney Tucker, a neighbor who lives nearby, he has encountered Anthony McRae multiple times at a local convenience store and characterized him as a “wild” and “hell-raiser” type of person.

“I knew he lived at that house because there was constant trouble there,” said Tucker.

According to Tucker, he heard gunshots being fired for target practice from McRae’s home last summer and he suspected that the police had been previously called to the location. “I told my dad it was a semi-automatic pistol: bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. It wasn’t firecrackers.”

Ray Lewis attempted to visit the home of Michael McRae, father of the deceased shooter, on Tuesday morning but turned back when he saw the cameras present. He wanted to check on his friend due to rumors circulating about the incident.

“I just seen Mike a couple days ago,” Lewis said to a Detroit News reporter. “I came here to see if he’s all right…Mike is a good guy.”