EAST LANSING, Mich. — The community is reacting after a 43-year-old gunman allegedly opened fire in multiple areas of the Michigan State University campus, killing three and critically wounding five others.
The shooting started around 8:18 p.m. Monday inside Berkey Hall on the East Lansing campus. Police received multiple calls about a shooting inside the hall. When they arrived, officers found several victims, two of which were dead.
The suspect then moved to the Michigan State Union building, adjacent to Berkey Hall, where he allegedly opened fire again, killing one.
The gunman was later located by police. When officers approached him, he allegedly turned the gun on himself. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
MSU Police released the identity of the shooter Tuesday morning. 43-year-old Anthony McRae has no known links to the university.
Now, efforts are underway to ensure students' safety.
Jason Russell, founder and president of Secure Education Consultants, is a former Secret Service agent who works with schools and organizations to create security programs.
"This has become all too common," Russell said. "And that's really why we exist, to hopefully give people a little bit of information to train you that they can use to keep themselves safe."
Russell is connected to this shooting in a more personal way: His daughter is a senior at MSU. He said he reached out to her right away and learned that she was safe.
When it comes to reacting to active shooter situations, Russell said it is essential to try to stay informed.
"You know, once you get the information, obviously want to try to keep yourself safe and monitor the situation as best you can," Russell said. "We were getting lots of different calls coming in of shots fired and different things. The police were doing a really good job of systematically searching the area trying to make sure they kept everybody safe on campus."
Russell said efforts to clear the campus took longer due to the campus' size.
All campus activities are canceled for 48 hours, including sports, classes and other events. Everyone is asked to stay away from the University Tuesday.
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