On February 13th, an active shooter haunted the campus grounds of Michigan State University in what’s being dubbed as the MSU shooting. The shooter, who was identified as Anthony McRae, killed three MSU students and injured another five students before taking his own life. It’s the 71st mass shooting of 2023.
While the five injured students remain in the hospital in critical condition, the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety has identified the three victims – who are being remembered by friends and family as loving, caring, talented, and hard-working students who had a lot of life to live before being shot to death.
Those three students are Alexandria Verner, a junior from Clawson, Michigan, and two sophomores from Grosse Pointe, Michigan – Arielle Anderson and Brian Fraser. None of the victims had any connection or relation to the shooter, as he was not affiliated with the university. Our hearts go out to the families.
Verner was a standout athlete throughout her four years at Clawson High School – her father said she played volleyball, basketball, and softball. She graduated in 2020 and started attending MSU shortly after. She was described as being ‘loved by everyone’, and she ‘exemplified kindness every day of her life.’Â
Anderson graduated from Grosse Pointe North High School in 2021 and had ambitions to become a surgeon. She had a passion for helping others and was ‘driven by her aspiration to tend to the health and welfare of others,’ according to her family. “As much as we loved her, she loved us and others even more.
Fraser graduated from Grosse Pointe South High School in 2021 and is being remembered as ‘a good kid’ that was ‘loved by everyone,’ according to his father. He became the president of MSU’s Phi Delta Theta fraternity and was a ‘great friend’ to his fraternity brothers and the Greek community as a whole.
The three slain victims of the MSU shooting – as well as the five injured that continue to fight for their lives in a hospital setting – will be forever remembered for the impact they had on those they were surrounded by daily. We can only hope this is the wake-up call needed to finally take action against gun violence.Â
A Vigil Was Held for the MSU Shooting Victims on Feb. 15
While the police continue to search for a motive and piece together what, how, and why the shooting occurred on February 13th, the community and country at large continue to mourn the losses that ensued on that fateful night. At the same time, many are urging decision-makers to finally take necessary action.Â
On February 15th, just two days after the shooting, more than 10,000 students and community members gathered at ‘The Rock’ to remember the victims of the MSU shooting. ‘The Rock’ is a symbolic and iconic boulder located on the campus of MSU that dates back to 1873 when it was donated to the university.Â
As of Wednesday, classes at Michigan State University remain canceled, and only essential employees are being asked to work – keep in mind, there’s still an active investigation happening on campus. And while the names of the five injured have yet to be released, it’s important we keep them in our thoughts.
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In addition to MSU, vigils were being held across the country for those that lost their lives in the shooting. In the hours following the shooting, the shooter’s father spoke out and confirmed that his son, Anthony McRae, had grown increasingly violent, angry, and evil in the years since his mother passed away.
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