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Furious Michigan Democrats called for gun reform today after the MSU shooting which comes just a year after the Oxford high school rampage.
Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin fumed at having to take the podium again so soon after the Oxford tragedy, where four students were killed.
‘I cannot believe I am here again doing this 15 months later. I am filled with rage that we have to have another press conference about our children being killed in schools,’ she fumed.
Earlier, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said: ‘We cannot keep living like this.’
Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin fumed at having to take the podium again so soon after the Oxford tragedy, where four students were killed
The gunman in last night’s attack has been named as Anthony McRae, a 43-year-old who has no known ties to the school.
It remains unclear what his motive for the shooting is, or what kind of weapon he used.
McRae killed himself before police got to him; he managed to evade them for three hours.
He killed three MSU students in two different locations on campus last night and injured five others. Those victims names will be released later today.
McRae terrorized the campus for nearly four hours – as multiple reports confirmed he was running through the streets, brandishing a gun, and shooting bullets – but police have not yet been able to establish a motive.
The security camera clip showed the man, wearing a jean-jacket, ball cap and red sneakers, wandering nonchalantly along a street having just shot up two separate locations on campus.
The 43-year-old shooter strode into an academic building named Berkey Hall at 8:18 pm, blasting indiscriminately at the occupants. Two people died at the scene and three others sustained serious injuries.
Cops descended on the scene in response to a torrent of urgent 911 calls but the killer had already left the premises, heading west out of the building and skulking along campus roads as he hunted for his next victims.
The suspected gunman, pictured, was last seen leaving the union building. He was wearing a jean jacket, red shoes, a black mask, and a baseball cap. Cops confirmed he is now deceased
The security camera clip showed the man, wearing a jean-jacket, ball cap and red sneakers, wandering nonchalantly along a street having just shot up two separate locations on campus
He strolled along the street in a very calm manner despite having just committed murder
Less than 15 minutes later, gunshots were reported at the MSU Union building, a popular spot for students to eat, drink and study just a 10-minute walk from Berkey Hall.
One more person was killed at the MSU Union and two more were injured.
Chris Rozman, the interim deputy chief of Michigan State University police, said: ‘We have no idea why he came to campus. He was not affiliated in any way with Michigan State University – he is not faculty or a student or staff.’
Rozman confirmed the five injured people gunned down in the terror on Monday night remained in a critical condition at Sparrow Hospital.
MSU campus will now be closed for 48 hours following the attack.
Marlon Lynch, chief of Michigan State University Police, announced at around 12:30pm the gunman was dead.
He said: ‘The suspect was located outside of the MSU campus and has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This truly has been a nightmare.’
Lynch said the shelter-in-place order had been lifted. He added: ‘This is the beginning of a long healing process for those affected. There are several different crime scenes that we are processing with our state and federal partners, and there is a lot of work to be done.’
Police in Michigan released this photo of the shooter in a bid to track him down. He has now died after turning the gun on himself, police confirmed
The 43-year-old man was shot dead in the city of East Lansing
Police gave their first press conference at 11pm. Chris Rozman later confirmed that the shooter has died after the rampage on Monday night
Rozman previously urged terrified students on campus to remain in a sheltered place as they hunt down the suspect – who was described as having a ‘long gun.’
The police chief told everyone to stay away from the surrounding area and confirmed that all college activities will be canceled for the next 48 hours.
Student Gabe Treutle was taking a chemistry quiz when he got news of a campus shooting on his cellphone.
He told CNN: ‘Shortly after I got the alert, I turned on the police radar in our area.
‘About ten minutes after I did, that we got a report that the shooter migrated over to an area block just once away from where I’m standing. That really scared us.
‘We got the door barricaded. We were appearing through the windows trying to make sure that he wasn’t going to come over toward us. It isn’t the best in our situation but then five minutes after that they evacuated the entire building. The dining hall area. The police came to make sure that everybody was okay.’
Another student Connor Anderson explained that he was eating dinner in the campus cafeteria when shots rang out across campus.
‘I was in the cafeteria, which is on the second floor. I got a text from somebody saying that there had been a shooting. It was on the other side of campus. Basically, we are in lockdown, everything was calm, everyone was listening to police reports,’ Anderson explained.
‘We heard the shooter was getting closer to the location. Still thought we were safe. We started barricading the doors at some point. The swat team and cops came in and told us to get out of the cafeteria. We stormed down the stairs. We had our hands up. And we had to go to the nearest bus stop. The shots got closer and we were stranded by a parking garage.
‘It was a scary situation on every level. When the police, say okay, “you guys have to run out of here” that was chaos. Complete chaos.
‘People were getting trampled, we had to go down and there was just one exit. It took a while.
‘All my friends are safe but we are barricaded in my dorm room.
‘Once we got back to our dorm, there were police doing body checks and patting everyone down.’
Terrified students are seen trying to reach safety on Monday night, checking their phones for the latest information
University students embrace following the shooting on campus on Monday night
Police officers surround a scene where the suspect was located as they respond to a shooting at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, U.S., February 14, 2023
Students gather on the campus of Michigan State University after a shelter in place order was lifted early Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, in East Lansing, Mich
Helicopters scouted overhead as the urgent search for the gunman continued during the lockdown – with FBI teams spreading out across the 5,200-acre campus.
Rozman said the incident began at 8:18pm in Berkey Hall, on the East Lansing campus. It ended when the gunman, 43, killed himself just after midnight.
He said: ‘We were quickly on scene, within minutes, and there we did locate several victims of a shooting. The incident did move to a building in close proximity – the Michigan State Union building, where there was another report of a shooting immediately after the report of the first incident.’
Rozman said there was ‘an overwhelming law enforcement response’ to the shooting. He said there was one suspect and he was ‘last seen leaving the MSU Union on foot on the north side of that building.’
It’s currently unclear what route the shooter took – however initial reports said that shots were heard from different parts of the campus as the incident unfolded.
Just after 10pm – about one and a half hours after the active shooter alert – police confirmed that a series of buildings and dorms were cleared and secured. This included Brody Hall, Snyder Phillips Hall, Mason Hall, Abbot Hall, Landon Hall, the MSU Union, and Berkey Hall.
The Michigan State shooting comes on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Valentine’s Day shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed.
It also follows the shooting on February 14, 2008 at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, in which a gunman killed five students and injured 17 more people, before fatally shooting himself.
Police are seen on the campus, responding to the reports of an active shooter
The campus was on lockdown on Monday night as police responded to reports of a shooting
A massive police presence was on campus, with agents from the FBI and ATF as well as campus police and state forces
Students wrapped up in blankets are seen outside the campus buildings, having been evacuated
Shocked students are being told to shelter in place. Cops have now confirmed that there is no longer a threat on campus
Michigan State University students evacuate to a safe area during an active shooter situation on campus
The University tweeted at 8:30pm: ‘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.’
An alert sent shortly after urged students on site to ‘run, hide, fight.’
It read: ‘Run means evacuate away from danger if you can do so safely, Hide means to secure-in-place, and Fight means protect yourself if no other option.’
Multiple reports said there was a person running across campus with a long gun and a hood up. Police later released an image of the shooter, wearing a cap.
MSU said the suspect was on foot, and they believe the gunman is acting alone.
About an hour later, campus police reported: ‘There is another reported shooting at IM East.’ This is a campus fitness center about a mile away from Berkey Hall, where police first reported shots were fired.
Police are seen on campus at Michigan State University in East Lansing, after reports of an active shooter
Tearful students shelter inside the Broad Art Museum near Berkey Hall on the campus of Michigan State University
Emergency personnel respond to a shooting at Michigan State University in East Lansing
MSU tweeted at 10:10pm EST: ‘Victims are currently being transported to Sparrow Hospital. Brody Hall, Snyder/Phillips Hall, Mason Hall, Abbot Hall, Landon Hall, the MSU Union, and Berkey Hall have all been cleared/secured.’
A correspondent on the scene for Fox News 59 reported that people were being escorted from Berkey Hall, and they appeared to be bloody.
Detroit ATF – the police explosive unit – was responding to the scene, accompanied by the FBI. They tweeted: ‘The FBI is responding to assist in the reports of an active shooter on the Michigan State University campus.’
Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan, tweeted: ‘I’ve been briefed on the shooting at Michigan State University. The Michigan State Police along with @MSUPolice, local law enforcement and first responders are on the ground.
‘Let’s wrap our arms around the Spartan community tonight. We will keep everyone updated as we learn more.’
Gary Peters, a senator representing Michigan, said: ‘My staff and I are closely tracking the horrifying shooting at Michigan State University and are in contact with local officials.
‘I urge students and the East Lansing community to stay safe and follow guidance from law enforcement.’
East Lansing Public Schools have notified parents of students that the K-12 schools in the district will be closed on Tuesday, while the Michigan State University shooting situation is assessed.
The university itself has also canceled all classes. Michigan State University is situated in East Lansing, three miles east of Michigan’s capitol in Lansing.
Home to 50,000 students, it is located on one of the biggest and greenest campuses in the nation, spread over 5,200 acres.
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