How Michigan State University shooting unfolded: Timeline

(EAST LANSING, Mich.) — Three Michigan State University students were killed and five more wounded in a mass shooting on the East Lansing campus Monday night.

For several hours, terrified students sheltered in place following warnings of an active shooter at the university, before a suspect was confronted and died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound off campus, police said.

Here’s what we know so far about how the incident — the 67th mass shooting in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive — unfolded Monday night. All times Eastern.

8:18 p.m.

Officers received the first 911 call reporting shots fired in Berkey Hall, an academic building on the northern campus that borders downtown East Lansing, at 8:18 p.m., MSU police said. Several victims were found there, including two who later died from their injuries, according to MSU Police and Public Safety Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman.

While managing that scene, police received reports of another shooting at the MSU Union building, located nearby. One of the victims found at this location also died, Rozman said.

The suspect is believed to have walked from Berkey Hall to the MSU Union, then “quickly fled that building,” Rozman said.

“He was not in the building for that long,” he said.

8:31 p.m.

MSU issued an alert to secure-in-place immediately after shots were reported fired “on or near the East Lansing campus.”

MSU police also shortly alerted on Twitter that shots had been fired near Berkey Hall and advised the school community to secure-in-place immediately.

MSU ALERT: There have been shots fired near Berkey Hall on the East Lansing campus. Please secure-in-place immediately. Police are active on scene. More information to follow. pic.twitter.com/xa4KlwXJWN

— MSU Police and Public Safety (@msupolice) February 14, 2023

9:56 p.m.

MSU police tweeted a description of the alleged shooter — described as a “short male with a mask, possibly Black” — and advised people to continue to shelter in place. “We are still receiving multiple calls of an active shooter on campus,” police said.

10:04 p.m.

MSU issued an alert that the situation remained active, and that a person was “actively shooting” at the East Lansing campus.

10:10 p.m.

MSU police updated that several campus buildings, including MSU Union and Berkey Hall, have been cleared and secured, and that the shooting victims are being transported to a local hospital.

11 p.m.

The suspect was captured on campus security cameras at approximately 11 p.m., police said.

11:18 p.m.

MSU police tweeted surveillance photos of the suspected shooter in a stairwell, describing him as a “Black male, shorter in stature, red shoes, jean jacket, wearing a baseball cap that is navy with a lighter brim.”

We will be live-streaming our news update on the MSU Police and Public Safety Facebook page – @msupolice. pic.twitter.com/RHETaawMIg

— MSU Police and Public Safety (@msupolice) February 14, 2023

Shortly after releasing the photos, “he was recognized by an alert citizen,” Rozman said.

“That was exactly what we were trying to achieve by releasing that picture, was to generate immediate tips for this person that was mobile that we had no idea where he was at that point,” Rozman said.

11:35 p.m.

The suspect was located off campus at an undisclosed location in Lansing at approximately 11:35 p.m., Rozman said. As officers confronted him, he allegedly shot himself and died, police said.

Authorities later identified the suspect as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae. He was not a student or member of the faculty or staff at the university “at any point,” according to Rozman, who said an alleged motive remains unknown.

12:28 a.m.

MSU issued an alert that the suspect had been located and that the shelter-in-place order had been lifted. “There is no longer believed to be an imminent threat to campus,” the alert stated.

MSU police also updated around that time that the suspect was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

UPDATE: There are 3 confirmed fatalities. This is in addition to the 5 victims who have been transported to the hospital. pic.twitter.com/on3iPHhsfK

— MSU Police and Public Safety (@msupolice) February 14, 2023

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