(FreedomBeacon.com)- Anthony Dwayne McRae, a 43-year-old male, has been named the gunman in the mass shooting at Michigan State University.
In 2019, McRae was arrested and charged with the criminal offense of concealed carry of a firearm without a license. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of felony handgun possession and served a year and a half of probation.
According to court documents, a Lansing Police Department officer saw McRae smoking a cigarette at about 2 a.m. on June 7, 2019. McRae was questioned by the police officer doing a routine patrol after a string of burglaries in the neighborhood whether he was armed, and he responded in the affirmative.
The cop patted McRae down and found a loaded semiautomatic handgun in his trouser pocket and a spare magazine in his shirt.
Once McRae confirmed to the police that he did not have a concealed firearm license, the officer arrested him. McRae told the police officer he was seeking a concealed carry permit and carried the pistol for self-defense.
In November 2019, McRae entered a guilty plea to the charge of carrying a loaded handgun. McRae consented to give up the pistol at issue and is prohibited from possessing any firearms for the duration of his probation.
McRae’s probationary period was extended from the first year to 15 months. According to court documents, McRae completed his probation and was released in May 2021.
The suspect’s sister, Melinda McRae, told CNN that she was “shocked” by the news and had “no clue” what drove her brother to do the crime.
She said they had a happy home life as kids, but McRae spent most of his life alone and at odds with his parents. She added that he had been sequestered in a room at their dad’s house for some time.
She said that McRae often yelled at his mom, but when she passed away in 2020, he was overcome with grief and kept repeating, “I’m sorry, mom, I’m sorry…”
McRae’s father warned that his son’s temperament was unstable. Michael McRae said his son had had a firearm some years ago, but it had been confiscated by law enforcement. He stated he was sure his son had acquired another pistol but had hidden it in his room and denied having it when asked by his father.
