Michigan State shooter brings manhunt to an end with self-inflicted gunshot to the head



The gunman who killed three students and injured several others at Michigan State University in Lansing was declared dead early Tuesday morning, bringing an end to nearly four hours of terror.

WJBK reported that the 43-year-old black suspect, who has been identified as Anthony McRae, shot himself in the head as police closed in on him near Lake Lansing and Larch roads after an hours-long manhunt. The gunman reportedly had no affiliation with the school.

MSU Police and Public Safety announced just after midnight that there was no longer a threat to campus and that the shelter-in-place had been lifted. However, all campus activities have been canceled for two days, including athletics and all campus-related activities.

MSU Police advised students not to come to campus on Feb. 14.

What are the details?

MSU Police indicated that shots were fired after 8 p.m. near Berkey Hall on the East Lansing campus. The shooter was described as a short black male wearing a mask, red shoes, a jean jacket, and a baseball cap.

None
— MSU Police and Public Safety (@MSU Police and Public Safety) 1676338812

After the initial shooting, the gunman reportedly opened fire at the MSU Union, where students often gather to eat or study.

MSU Police confirmed there were three fatalities. Two victims were killed at Berkey Hall and a third in the MSU Union. In a Tuesday press conference, officials revealed all three were students.

Five additional victims were transported to E.W. Sparrow Hospital with "life-threatening" injuries.

Dominik Molotky told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he was learning about Cuban history when gunshots rang out outside the classroom.

"I was ducking and covering, and the same with the rest of the students. He let off four more rounds and when it went silent for about 30 seconds to a minute, two of my classmates started breaking open a window, and that took about 30 seconds to happen. There was glass everywhere," said Molotky.

Gabe Treutle, also an MSU student, told CNN that he had learned there was an active shooter situation while taking a chemistry quiz on campus.

"I turned on the police radar in our area. About ten minutes after I did that, we got a report that the shooter migrated over to [an area] about a block away from where I'm standing. That really scared us," said Treutle.

"We got the door barricaded. We were peering through the windows trying to make sure that he wasn't going to come over toward us," said Treutle.

"And then five minutes after that, they evacuated the entire building."

\u201c#BREAKING MSU Active Shooting:\n- At least 1 dead, multiple injured, after shooting at Michigan State University campus in East Lansing\n- Shooter is wearing a mask and is at large\n- Multiple shooting scenes on campus\n- FBI and ATF responding\u201d
— Fast News Network (@Fast News Network) 1676343944

Another student, Connor Anderson, indicated to CNN that police escorted those who had barricaded themselves inside to safety.

"Oh, it was complete chaos. I mean, we all had to go down in one stairwell. People were getting trampled and everything. So, we all had to go at one exit. It took a while," said Anderson.

MSU Police advised students to "run, hide, fight," reported the New York Post.

“Run means evacuate away from danger if you can do so safely, Hide means to secure-in-place, and Fight means protect yourself if no other option,” the message said.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office noted that "significant equipment" including armored vehicles, drones, and canine units were dispatched in response to the MSU shooting, along with SWAT officers and mobile command vehicles, reported NBC News.

When law enforcement closed in on the suspect with the help of a public tip nearly four hours after the initial shooting, the gunman committed suicide.

"This truly has been a nightmare we’re living tonight," said Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the campus police department.

"We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight. That is part of our ongoing investigation," said Rozman.

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Michigan election official calls cops on resident who displayed toilet with sign: 'Place mail-in ballots here'



While many are unsure of the effect of mail-in voting will have on the presidential election and see it as a crapshoot, one Michigan resident views mail-in voting as a crap chute. A homeowner displayed a toilet-themed display regarding the upcoming election on his front yard that has angered an election official.

A resident in the town of Mason displayed a toilet on their front yard that was accompanied by a sign that reads: "Place mail in ballots here."

A toilet and a sign: Statement or not, it's illegal, Ingham County clerk contends https://t.co/T4n8fiYWYB
— Lansing State Journal (@Lansing State Journal)1600483393.0

Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum thought the commode-themed election display stunk and called the police.

"Earlier this week, I filed a complaint with the Mason Police Department and the Ingham County Sheriff's Office regarding a report of a potential election violation located just blocks from the Mason Historical Courthouse," Byrum, who is a Democrat, said in a statement released on Friday.

"Elections in this country are to be taken seriously and there are many people who are voting by mail for the first time this Election," Byrum wrote. "We need to put out accurate, complete information about voting by mail, which is the safest way to vote during the pandemic."

"It's solicitation of absentee ballots into a container," Byrum told the Lansing State Journal. "Our election integrity is not a game. I expect everyone to act appropriately, and this is unacceptable."

"This kind of behavior needs to be quashed immediately," she said, flush with indignation. "They are making a mockery of our elections. I'm not going to stand idly by and watch it happen."

Byrum warned, "It is a felony to take illegal possession of an absentee ballot (voted or unvoted)." She pointed out that "felonies of this kind are punishable by a fine of $1,000.00 or 5 years in prison."

The front lawn also has a sign that reads: "Recall Whitmer," which calls for removing Michigan's Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from office. There was also an election sign for John James, a Republican running for U.S. Senate.

Local police told the Associated Press that the complaint about the latrine display is being investigated.

Many social media commenters on the story played devil's advocate to Byrum's argument. They questioned if anything beneficial can be derived by people who cast their ballots into a toilet on the front yard of some random person's house.