Michigan State shooting – updates: Murdered victims named as chilling details around Anthony McRae revealed

The names of two of the three Michigan State University students who were killed on Monday night have been released.

Brian Fraser was a sophomore at the school from Grosse Pointe, east of Detroit, and Alexandra Verner was a junior from Clawson, north of the city.

The name of the third victim will not be shared at the request of the family.

Dominik Molotky was in a Cuban history class when Anthony McRae, 43, burst in and began firing at Berkey Hall at Michigan State University on Monday night.

“This is a surreal moment for me. I think I’m doing alright. I’m beyond thankful, but, you know, we’re doing okay, trying to stay strong,” he told ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday.

“At about 8:15 heard a gunshot right outside of our classroom and I was sitting next to the nearest door and thank god that my fight or flight response kicked in because right when that first gunshot went off I looked to the far corner of the class kinda by where my professor was originally standing,” he added.

“Right after that first gunshot about two seconds later, he came in our class and let off three to four more rounds, I was ducking and covering,” Mr Molotky told ABC. “When it went silent for about 30 seconds to a minute, two of my classmates started breaking open the window and that took about 30 seconds to happen. There was glass everywhere.”

“I’m not too sure, but I think one of the students in my class got hit with a shot,” Mr Molotky added.

A survivor of the Oxford high school shooting in November 2021 was present at Michigan State University during the shooting on Monday night, his aunt has said.

At Oxford high school, four students were killed and seven people, including one teacher, were injured.

Dagmar Cross, a medical editor and writer based in Toronto Canada, tweeted on Monday night: “Active shooter on MSU campus reported 23 min ago, still roaming, next door to my nephew’s dorm. He has taken cover. I’m waiting to hear. The same nephew that was in the classroom next door to the active shooter at Oxford High School Nov 2021.”

“I have been trying to convince him to move to Canada, study here,” she added in a response to another Twitter user. “Will pursue this more so now. His words: ‘Active shootings - this is my life now. It’s normal, every day’.”

“He had called me to let me know of the situation, then had to hang up to take cover. Said he would call me when it’s over, so he can rage,” she wrote.

“I don’t know what to do. There’s nothing I can do, except sit here and follow news reports online. I feel so sorry for my nephew. The Oxford shooting was so traumatic for him,” she said as she interacted with her followers.

“I am scared. And raging so badly at what has happened to the [f***ing] USA. I so wish he had come to Canada for college,” she wrote.

At 9.31pm on Monday night, she wrote: “I have 2 nephews at MSU, a Junior, and the Frosh who was in the Oxford shooting. They are both keeping me posted as best they can, are locked down and taking cover. I’m devastated. I’m so glad my mother is no longer alive to experience this. The Oxford shooting nearly killed her.”

“When I go to visit them, I actually worry for my safety,” she added.

“So far both my nephews are ok, communicating with their dad. The younger one (frosh, was in Oxford shooting) is in residence. The older is in apartment directly across campus,” she added nearly an hour later.

“Not sure the younger one feels safe. Is beyond traumatized. Older one is listening to police scanner, updating them, seems to be good,” she told one Twitter user.

“Just spoke with my younger nephew. He’s safe. It’s over. He’s figuring out how to get home to his parents. Getting his car, figuring out roads that are open, all challenges. Older nephew lives off campus, is safe also, staying put,” she added closer to 1am on Tuesday.

Two Michigan State University students killed during a mass shooting at the East Lansing campus on Monday night have been identified.

Michigan State University Police said in a statement Brian Fraser, a sophomore from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and Alexandria Verner, a junior from Clawson, were among the three students shot dead.

The name of the third victim was not being released at the request of their family, police said.

Five other victims remain in hospital in critical condition, the statement added.

“We cannot begin to fathom the immeasurable amount of pain that our campus community is feeling,” deputy chief of police and public safety Chris Rozman said.

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Michigan State University shooting suspect Anthony McRae became “mean” and spent most of his time in his room following the death of his mother two years ago, his father told The Independent.

Anthony McRae was identified as the gunman who shot dead three people and wounded five others at the MSU campus in Lansing on Monday night. He allegedly killed himself as police closed in.

His father Michael McRae, 67, shared his shock at the shooting with The Independent on Tuesday.

Mr McRae said he’d been unaware his son had any guns in the house and had told the 43-year-old to get rid of any weapons after Anthony was charged in 2019 with carrying a concealed pistol without a permit and possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle. He pleaded to the second charge, a misdemeanor, and was given probation that ended in 2021.

“I don’t allow guns in my house,” Mr McRae said. “I don’t believe in that. I got my Bible. I didn’t know what he was going on doing and what was in his mind to do.”

Read more:

Michael McRae, the father of suspect Anthony McRae, told CNN on Tuesday that his son had a weapon a number of years ago, but that police had taken it away.

According to legal filings, the suspect pled guilty to a 2019 firearms violation. Mr McRae said he thinks his son had gotten another gun but that he had it in his room and denied to his father that he had a firearm.

The father said his son’s mood would change fast.

“I don’t know what happened to make him turn like this,” he said.

“He’d treat me like I was invisible. I’d ask, ‘why are you treating me this way? What did I do?’” he added.

The White House has called on Congress to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, saying that "more work needs to be done".

In her daily press briefing just now, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre opened her speech by paying her respects to the MSU victims and urging further action. (You can watch the ongoing press conference here.)

"Today marks five years since a gunman took the lives of 14 students and three educators at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida," she said. "And once again, our country is mourning three Michigan State University students who were killed in a shooting last night.

"The President and the First Lady are praying for these young victims and their families who border East Lansing and Lansing communities, and all Americans across the country grieving as the result of gun violence once again.

"We are especially thinking of all of the injured victims who are fighting for their lives today, as well as the survivors of the shooting. During a lengthy active shooting situation, they feared for their lives. They will carry that experience with them through the years ahead. And as the President has said today, [that is] enough – enough."

She then touted the recently passed Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was the first federal gun safety law enacted in three decades, and the Justice Department's announcement today of an extra $231 million in funding to help states implement anti-violence programmes such as red flag systems and special mental health and substance abuse courts.

She concluded: "The President also continues to call on Congress to [en]act common sense gun laws reforms, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets.

"We owe it all to those we've lost, and to those we've left behind to grieve, to continue to act."

Questioned by journalists just now on whether Joe Biden actually had any power to push through a federal assault weapons ban, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted that it could be done.

"As you know, there was a bipartisan community safety act that was passed – many people said that wouldn't happen. And thirty years later, after thirty years, we were able to get that done," she said.

"So he's gonna reach out, we're all we're going to reach out, to those very members in Congress and see what's the next step that we can take.

"But again, we have the votes on our side, the Democrats have the votes on our side, to get this done. So Republicans have to meet us at the table and get this done."

As a reminder, the Republicans currently control the House of Representatives by a very narrow margin, and giving the more fringe segments of their caucus substantial leverage over House speaker Kevin McCarthy.

It's true that the Safer Communities Act was introduced by a GOP senator (Marco Rubio) and passed with the help of 15 Republicans. But that was after the failure of a more radical gun safety bill, and it's harder to an assault weapons ban getting the same traction.

President Joe Biden has no plans to address the nation over last night's shooting, the White House says.

Asked about that possibility in today's press briefing, Karine Jean-Pierre said she had nothing to announce on that front and directed reporters to a prerecorded video tweeted by Mr Biden this morning marking the anniversary of the Parkland shooting.

The White House’s daily press briefing is now over.