Police say a man suspected of killing three people and wounding five more at Michigan State University on Monday night has died.
Police say the man apparently shot himself off campus. The announcement came early Tuesday, four hours after shootings were reported, first at Berkey Hall and then nearby at the MSU Union, a popular hub to eat or study.
Two of the victims died at Berkey Hall and the third at the MSU Union.
Michigan State University Police and Public Safety say the suspected shooter, 43-year old Anthony Mcrae, shot himself just before midnight on Monday night as police approached.
The suspected shooter remained at large for hours while the campus remained under lockdown and heavy police presence.
Just after 8:30 p.m. the university put out an alert: "Shots fired. ... Secure-in-Place immediately. Run, Hide, Fight."
"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," the alert continued.
At 8:40 p.m., the MSU Police and Public Safety Department posted to Twitter urging people to "secure-in-place immediately."
"Police are active on scene," the department said.
Just over half an hour later, the department said the suspect was "believed to be on foot" and "community members on and off campus should continue to shelter in place."
Police confirmed 5 victims were being transported to Sparrow Hospital. Scanner traffic also indicated a rescue task force was treating victims at the campus.
MSU police and other agencies, including the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were successively clearing buildings as they searched for the shooter. MSU's campus covers more than 5,000 acres.
MSU police said all campus activities were canceled for the next two days, "including athletics, classes, and all campus-related activities."
"Please DO NOT come to campus tomorrow," the department tweeted.
K-12 schools in East Lansing, Haslett, and Lansing also closed on Tuesday.
“There has been false reports of multiple shootings. There have been false reports of the suspect being seen in multiple locations,” said Chris Rozman, interim chief of the Michigan State University police, at a press conference held at 11:00 pm.
Rozman said hundreds of officers from different agencies were on campus. He urged parents to stay away.
“I can only imagine the emotion that's involved right now. ... We are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our campus and all of our students," Rozman said.
Aedan Kelley, a junior who lives a half-mile east of campus, said he locked his doors and covered his windows “just in case.” Sirens were constant, he said, and a helicopter hovered overhead.
"It’s all very frightening," Kelley said. “And then I have all these people texting me wondering if I’m OK, which is overwhelming.”
The FBI in Michigan will be helping with the follow up investigations as several crime scenes need to be investigated. Police say ongoing investigations will likely last for days. They have no information regarding a motive.
This is a developing story. Michigan Radio will update our coverage.
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