Michigan State University Gunman Has History of Mental Illness and Criminal Record

On February 13th, 2023, 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae entered the Michigan State University (MSU) campus with two handguns and proceeded to kill three students and critically wound five others [1].

The following police investigation found that McRae has had a history of mental health issues and has previously been arrested for illegally owning a firearm in 2019, being charged with a felony. As part of a plea deal, McRae pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of owning a loaded weapon in a vehicle so that prosecutors would dismiss the felony charge [2].

McRae was on probation for 18 months with his firearm possession ban ending in May 2021. Since his mother passed away in 2020, McRae quit his job and spent his days in his bedroom. His father, whom McRae lived with, said that he quickly became “evil angry” and would refuse to get help from a doctor. “He began to really let himself go. His teeth were falling out. He stopped cutting his hair. He looked like a wolf man” said McRae’s father [3]

McRae’s father believes his son obtained another firearm and hid it following his probation [3]. Officials are now trying to learn whether McRae’s firearms were legally obtained as Michigan state law prohibits high-class misdemeanor criminals from purchasing firearms [4].

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has already assured that she and the Democratic-controlled state legislature would take action [4]. However, students have already begun protesting at the Michigan Capitol in collaboration with activist groups such as March For Our Lives [5].

As the investigation continues, both officials and the public are left with the questions of how McRae managed to acquire two firearms following his probation, and what reason he had to target MSU [4].