Michigan State University gunman Anthony McRae had a note in his pocket where he threatened to attack two high schools in New Jersey, forcing the Ewing township to keep all its schools closed on Tuesday. This came as it was revealed that McRae was earlier arrested in 2019 for keeping a loaded gun in his car.
McRae, 43, started shooting on the MSU campus around 8:18 pm on Monday night. He first killed two students at Berkey Hall before moving on to Union Hall, where he killed a third student. Five others were seriously injured before McRae shot himself dead. According to police McRae had no known ties to the institution.
On a Rampage
Police are yet to understand the actual motive behind the carnage carried out by McRae since he did not have any known ties with the college. According to public records, McRae lived with his father in Lansing. His mother died last year.
It is also not known what he did for a living. However, police revealed that he routinely posted disturbing exorcist images, selfies with crucifixes, and bible verses while ranting about God on social media. He also posted about Satan and schizophrenia.
However, what's even more shocking is that McRae planned to attack more schools. According to the police, McRae was found dead with a note in his pocket wherein he threatened to attack two Ewing, New Jersey, public schools, which prompted police to shutter them for the day.
"When McRae was found by police in Michigan, he had a note in his pocket that indicated a threat to two Public Schools," the Township of Ewing Police Department said, without elaborating on the exact nature.
The Ewing Public Schools were shut down for the day "out of an abundance of caution," the force said, which also stated that private schools in the township had officers "stationed at each closed public school."
Mental Health Issues
According to authorities, McRae had "local ties to Ewing" and "a history of mental health issues." His mother, 62-year-old devout churchgoer Linda Gail McRae, was from Trenton, according to her obituary, and a number of her family members still seem to live there.
Police reported that McRae, the murderer who had previously served time in Lansing for carrying a loaded gun, had not lived in the Garden State for several years.
The investigation, according to the police, "determined the crime is isolated to Michigan and there is no threat to Ewing Schools," they said on Tuesday.
Even then, police will continue to patrol the area around schools until the school system is set to resume operations as usual on Wednesday.
McRae's mother, who "gave her life to Christ at an early age," worked in Newark before relocating the family to Lansing, according to her obituary. She died on September 13, 2020, in Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, the same facility that was caring for her son's injured victims.
MSU police also confirmed a note had been found, without elaborating on what it said.
A video has emerged that shows the body of the gunman being pulled onto the roadside after he shot himself dead. Rozman said that the gunman was found dead from a self-inflected gunshot wound to his head.
According to reports, officers are at the Lansing home of the gunman. Marlon Lynch, the chief of Michigan State University Police, made the announcement around 12:30 pm that the shooter had died.
"The suspect was located outside of the MSU campus and has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This truly has been a nightmare," he said.
"We have no idea why he came to campus. He was not affiliated in any way with Michigan State University - he is not faculty or a student or staff," Chris Rozman, the interim deputy chief of Michigan State University police said.
