Rozman identified the shooter Tuesday as Anthony Dwayne McRae, 43. Rozman said McRae was located at about 11:35 Monday night in Lansing by officers about five miles away in an industrial area. McRae killed himself and a firearm was recovered at the scene, Rozman said. McRae was not a student or employee of the school and no connection to the school was immediately determined.
“We have absolutely no idea what the motive was,” Rozman said, but added that the investigation was continuing.
McRae was on probation for 18 months until May 2021 for possessing a loaded, concealed gun without a permit, according to the state Corrections Department.
Rozman said authorities reviewed security camera footage after the shooting, found frames that included the shooter and released his photo. Officers following up on a tip called in "from an alert citizen" found the killer, he said.
"We want to sincerely thank our community for their help," campus police said in a Twitter post. "Because of the quick release of the suspect photos through our campus security cameras, a caller’s tip was able to lead officers to the suspect."
What happened in the shooting?
No motive for the attack was revealed. Rozman said two people were killed at Berkey Hall and another was killed at the student union before the gunman apparently fled. Five people were rushed to Sparrow Hospital in critical condition, he said.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers from local, state and federal agencies responded to the shooting "in a coordinated effort," Rozman said. At one point 10 ambulances were lined up near the scene. Several campus buildings in the area were cleared and secured by 10:18 p.m., according to university police.
Four hours after the first shots were reported, police announced the man’s death. Rozman said officers had confronted the shooter miles away from the shooting scene, and that he died by a “self-inflicted gunshot wound."
Ben Finkelstein, a senior, said he was sheltering in place in his room.
"I don't think I've ever been this scared," he said. "I've been listening to the police scanner for an hour."
Finkelstein said he was hiding under a pile of dirty laundry in his first-floor room. He closed all of his blinds and turned off his lights.
"It's far too late for this to be called a wake-up call," he said. "The sad truth is I doubt we're going to be the last. Other than that, I'm praying for everybody."
Kayal Ghassan, a 19-year-old fisheries and wildlife student, also was eating in another building on campus when word of the shooting spread, he said. He noticed other students began crowding at the doors.
Students were worried and panicking, he said. Many were calling their families. “Everyone was running in fear," he said. "I saw people climbing over other people.”
Ghassan and others ran to a nearby parking lot, where police immediately asked if they saw the suspect and knew what he looked like.
“I was fearing for my life, honestly. I’ve never experienced something like this,” he said.
Bacon reported from Arlington, Va. Contributing: Paul Egan, Andrea Sahouri, Mike Ellis, Sheldon Krause, Emily Lawler and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY NETWORK; The Associated Press
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