News Release: Investigation updates regarding active violence incident on Feb. 13
March 10, 2023
***Please be aware the following information may be disturbing or difficult to read***
EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety (DPPS) today is sharing several updates regarding the shooting that occurred on campus on Feb. 13. It’s important to note the investigation into the incident is ongoing by multiple law enforcement agencies.
Timeline of homicide suspect Anthony McRae being on campus
The department’s preliminary investigation findings has detailed a timeline for Anthony McRae’s presence on campus the evening of February 13, 2023:
- 8:18 p.m. – First shots fired call at Berkey Hall received by Ingham County 911
- 8:20 p.m. – Officers entered Berkey Hall
- 8:24 p.m. – McRae entered the Union
- 8:26 p.m. – First report of shooting at the Union
- 8:26 p.m. – McRae exited the Union and left campus
- 8:27 p.m. – Officers arrived at the Union
- 8:30 p.m. – First emergency alert notification sent
- 8:31 p.m. – Second emergency alert notification sent
- 11:18 p.m. – Photo of suspect shared on MSU DPPS social media
- 11:35 p.m. – Ingham County 911 receives call of person matching the description walking on Lake Lansing Rd near High St in the City of Lansing
- 11:49 p.m. – Officers approach McRae and he shoots himself
As part of the ongoing investigation, McRae’s route once he left campus is still being reviewed and finalized by law enforcement.
9-1-1 calls received
From Feb. 13 to Feb. 14, and between the hours of 8 p.m. and 1 a.m., Ingham County 9-1-1 received 2,100 phone calls, with 1,450 being 9-1-1 calls. This is the equivalent of 2.5 days’ worth of calls for the dispatch center – within a 5-hour period.
Additionally, there were 3,136 radio “push to talks” by police officers on the primary shared radio dispatch talk group used by MSU Police and Public Safety and the East Lansing Police Department. A “push to talk” is every time an officer or dispatcher pushes the button to transmit on their two-way radio.
Please see below a campus map with each individual 9-1-1 call categorized by the hour in which residents made calls to dispatch.
Note found on McRae
Law enforcement made contact with McRae in Lansing just 17 minutes after MSU Police and Public Safety released the photo of him. McRae died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The following note was found in his pocket. MSU DPPS today is releasing the contents of the note below. To protect the privacy of outside entities, some content has been redacted. Law enforcement immediately notified, investigated and cleared all of the other locations McRae named in the note. Please be advised that the note contains language that may be disturbing to read.
While McRae states in the note that he was acting with others, investigators from MSU DPPS, Michigan State Police and the FBI have determined through comprehensive reviews and detailed follow-up that McRae acted alone and was not working with other people. This claim is unfounded.
MSU Police and Public Safety is continuing to investigate this incident and will provide additional updates as the department is able.
Recognizing this update may be difficult for those within the MSU campus community and beyond, on-campus resources are listed below. It’s important to remember that the grief some individuals may be experiencing is normal and there are several ways in which individuals can seek support, including talking with friends, family and colleagues to process.
- MSU Student Health Services
- General info: 517-884-6526; Nurse on-call: 517-353-9165
- MSU Employee Assistance Program
- EAP is a confidential, free counseling service for employees: 517-355-4506, eap@msu.edu.
- Counseling and Psychiatry Services
- CAPS is the place for students seeking help for a wide range of health concerns.
- MSU Department of Psychiatry
- Psychiatry Clinic: 517-353-3070
MSU continues to stand together as a community and support one another during this difficult time.
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Contact:
Dana Whyte, Communications Manager and Spokesperson, Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety
Chris Rozman, Chief of Police, Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety