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Identities of three victims released by DPS; university community mourns

On3 imageby:Jim Comparoni•02/14/23•

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Students and mourners gather near the Sparty Statue on the campus of Michigan State University, Tuesday. Mourners placed flowers at the base of the statue in remembrance of victims of Monday evening's campus shootings which left three Michigan State students dead. (Photo by Jim Comparoni for SpartanMag.com).

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State University’s Department of Police and Public Safety released information just after 4 p.m. on Tuesday concerning three of the victims of Monday evening’s fatal campus shootings.

Three Michigan State students were killed during Monday’s shootings and five remain hospitalized.

According to a press release issued by the Michigan State University police department, the three deceased victims have been identified as the following:

  • Brian Fraser, Sophomore, Grosse Pointe.
  • Alexandria Verner, Junior, Clawson.
  • Arielle Anderson, Junior, Grosse Pointe.

“We sincerely ask the media and community members to respect the families’ privacy,” the Michigan State University Police and Public Safety said in a press release.

Police identified the gunman as 43-year-old Anthony McRae, of Lansing.

The press release detailed Monday night’s events leading to McRae’s demise:

“The first call reporting an active shooter took place at 8:18 p.m. at Berkey Hall. A shelter-in-place was immediately put into place for campus and the surrounding community. The MSU Alert system and MSU Emergency Operations Center were both immediately activated. Officers from all across the state responded to campus and began to complete a comprehensive search in attempt to locate the suspect.

“The suspect was captured on campus security cameras at approximately 11:00 p.m. The suspect photos were disseminated across MSU DPPS social media channels and through our media partners at 11:18 p.m. Because of the quick release of photos, a caller’s tip was able to lead officers to the suspect at approximately 11:35 p.m., only 17 minutes after the release of the photos.”

Police say McRae turned a gun on himself as police approached him, nearly three hours after the first shots were fired. Police say they approached McRae near McRae’s home on the north side of Lansing, near Old Town.

Michigan State students have staged impromptu gatherings and vigils across campus, including the Sparty Statue.

“Our Spartan hearts are broken,” Michigan State interim president Teresa Woodruff said during an 8 a.m. press conference. “We’re grieving as a community. We’re grieving together.”

Effective immediately, Michigan State University is now operating under modified operations/services for today, Feb. 14 and Wednesday, Feb. 15. Michigan State will resume normal operations on Thursday, Feb. 16. All campus activities including athletics, classes (in person and remote), and all campus-related activities remain suspended. Functions designated as essential under a department’s Business Continuity Plan (BCP) will continue and critical employees with essential functions must report to work.

The university released the following information for those in need of counseling:

“We know this news may be difficult for those within our campus community and beyond. It’s important to remember that the grief some individuals may be experiencing is normal and there are a number of ways in which individuals can seek support, including talking with friends, family and colleagues to process this. Resources are listed below and are also available at the Hannah Community Center on Abbot Road in East Lansing.”

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