DOC IN LANSING TRYING TO SAVE THE LIVES OF FIVE MICHIGAN STATE STUDENTS SHOT ON CAMPUS LAST
NIGHT. THREE YOUNG PEOPLE
ALREADY LOST IN THE CARNAGE, A
LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT TOUCHED BY
THIS TRAGEDY, NOT ONCE BUT TWICE
. PARENTS SAY, JOHN, THIS HAS TO
BE WRONG, AND I SAID, I WISH IT
WAS WRONG. ANOTHER SENSELESS ACT
OF GUN VIOLENCE INVOLVING A
SCHOOL AND FOR AT LEAST ONE
SPARTAN. IT’S BROUGHT BACK
PAINFUL MEMORIES. I AM 21 YEARS
OLD, AND THIS IS THE SECOND MASS
SHOOTING THAT I HAVE NOT LIVED
THROUGH. SECOND MASS SHOOTING.
SHE’S LIVED THROUGH TONIGHT.
EVERYBODY IS JUST HOPING THE
NUMBER OF STUDENTS KILLED
DOESN’T GET ANY HIGHER. GOOD
EVENING, EVERYBODY AND THANKS
FOR BEING WITH US. I’M KIMBERLY
GILL. DEVIN SCILLIAN IN EAST
LANSING HERE ON THE CAMPUS OF
MICHIGAN STATE IN FRONT OF THE
STUDENT UNION, ONE OF THE TWO
CRIME SCENES SHOOTING SCENES
HERE FROM LAST NIGHT ABOUT 22
HOURS AGO. IT WAS WHEN THE
GUNFIRE FIRST BROKE OUT SINCE
THEN, AND AS WE COME TO YOU
TONIGHT, HERE IN OUR SIX O’CLOCK
OUR QUITE A FEW NEW DEVELOPMENTS
TO GET TO LET’S START WITH THE
VICTIMS, AND WE KEEP REMINDING
YOU THAT WE ARE PUTTING THEM
FIRST AND FOREMOST AND WHAT’S
HAPPENED? TWO METRO DETROIT
COMMUNITIES BEING DEVASTATED BY
THEIR LOSS IS TONIGHT. TODAY WE
LEARNED THAT ONE OF THE STUDENTS
KILLED WAS A GRADUATE OF CLAWSON
SCHOOLS TO OTHERS ATTENDED
SCHOOLS IN GROSSE POINTE, THEIR
PUBLIC SCHOOLS THERE. HANK
WINCHESTER IS IN GROSSE POINTE
TONIGHT, THE COMMUNITY DEALING
WITH TWO LOSSES, HANK AND
DEVIN SCILLIAN. SHORT DRIVE AND
GROSSE POINTE FARMS HONORING THE
LIFE OF ONE OF THOSE STUDENTS
THAT YOU MENTIONED BRIAN FRAZIER
. WE’RE ALSO HEARING TONIGHT FOR
THE FIRST TIME FROM THE OTHER
STUDENTS THAT CALLED THE GROSSE
POINTE SCHOOLS HOME AERIAL
ANDERSON, HER FAMILY MEMBERS
RELEASING A STATEMENT. WE’RE
GOING TO GET TO THAT. IN JUST A
MOMENT FOR RIGHT NOW, TAKE A
LOOK AT THE STORY WE HAVE
REGARDING THESE TWO YOUNG
PEOPLE. BRIAN FRAZIER AND AERIAL
ANDERSON KILLED LAST NIGHT TO
MICHIGAN STATE STUDENTS GUNNED
DOWN DURING THE CHAOS ON CAMPUS
. I TOOK THIS PAUSE AND THOUGHT
TO MYSELF, HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THIS
HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE AN
ACT OF SENSELESS VIOLENCE THAT
HAS NO PLACE IN OUR SOCIETY AND,
IN PARTICULAR NO PLACE AT
SCHOOL? BUT THEN IT TOUCHED OUR
COMMUNITY. NOT ONCE, BUT NOT
TWICE. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF
GROSSE POINTE SCHOOL, STUNNED
LEARNING TWO OF THE THREE KILLED
ON CAMPUS CALLED THE GROSSE
POINTE SCHOOL DISTRICT. THEIR
HOME BRIAN FRAZIER, GRADUATING
IN 2021 FROM GROSSE POINTE,
SOUTH, AND REALLY ANDERSON,
GRADUATING FROM GROSSE POINTE
NORTH IN 2021. THEIR FORMER
CLASSMATES AT BOTH HIGH SCHOOLS
, LEARNING THE NEWS THIS MORNING
ON SOCIAL MEDIA QUICKLY SPREAD
THROUGHOUT BOTH BUILDINGS AND
THEN MAKING ITS WAY TO THE
SUPERINTENDENT HIMSELF. HE’S
SIMPLY COULD NOT BELIEVE THE
NEWS. I CAN’T SAY ANYTHING MORE
OR DIFFERENT. OTHER THAN WE HAVE
TO FIGURE OUT AS A SOCIETY. HOW
CAN WE SUPPORT THE MENTAL HEALTH
OF OUR KIDS? HOW CAN WE SUPPORT
THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR ADULTS?
HOW CAN WE HELP EVERYONE STAY
SAFE, SO THAT THERE ISN’T
ANOTHER SUPERINTENDENT, GIVING
THIS PRESS CONFERENCE OR, MORE
IMPORTANTLY, ANOTHER SET OF
PARENTS THAT ARE GETTING THIS
TERRIBLE, GRIEVING INFORMATION.
I WANT TO SHARE A PART OF THE
STATEMENT WE RECEIVED FROM THE
FAMILY OF ARIAL ANDERSON. IT
READS. WE LOST OUR PRECIOUS
DAUGHTER, GRANDDAUGHTER, SISTER
, NIECE, COUSIN AND FRIEND ARIEL
ANDERSON. SHE MEANS THE WORLD TO
US AS MUCH AS WE LOVED HER. SHE
LOVED US AND OTHERS EVEN MORE.
SHE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING
HER FRIENDS AND FAMILY ASSISTING
CHILDREN. AND SERVING PEOPLE THE
FAMILY WENT ON TO SAY, AS YOU
CAN IMAGINE, THEY ARE DEVASTATED
BY THIS LOSS, AND THEY ARE
ASKING FOR PRIVACY AT THIS TIME
, BUT THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR
THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE AND
SUPPORT. I WANT TO GET YOU NOW
TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY TOUCHED BY
THIS TRAGEDY, THAT IS CLAUSSEN.
THAT’S WHERE MY COLLEAGUE
PRIYA MANN IS STANDING BY. LIVE
TONIGHT, PRIYA. AND HANG THIS
COMMUNITY JUST WRAPPING THEIR
ARMS AROUND THE STUDENTS AND THE
FAMILIES HERE IN CLAUSE IN THAT
THIRD VICTIM WAS ALEXANDRIA
WERNER. SHE WENT BY AL SHE WAS A
STANDOUT ATHLETE IN BASKETBALL,
SOFTBALL AND VOLLEYBALL. SHE WAS
A ROLE MODEL AND MENTOR. SHE
GRADUATED FROM CLAWS AND HIGH
SCHOOL IN 2020. SHE WAS STUDYING
AT MSU. HE HAD PLANS OF A CAREER
IN FORENSICS. ALL OF THOSE
DRAINS ALL OF THAT POTENTIAL CUT
SHORT. WE SPENT THE DAY TALKING
TO EDUCATORS, SOME WHO’VE KNOWN
HER SINCE SHE WAS JUST FIVE
YEARS OLD. WERE HURT, WERE
HURTING AND IN OUR SMALL
COMMUNITY THIS IS VERY IMPACTFUL
FOR US. IS THIS THE CITY’S TWO
MILES BY TWO MILES, BIG OR
SMALL? AND SO SOMEBODY OF AL’S
MAGNITUDE AND THE IMPACT THAT
JUST SHE SIMPLY MODELED EVERY
SINGLE DAY AS A HUMAN BEING.
HITS US HARD. SHE WAS THAT
PLAYER THAT DID EVERYTHING ON
THE BASKETBALL FLOOR. EVERYTHING
UM SHE WAS OUR, UH, SHE WAS THE
PERSON WHO BROKE THE PRESS. WHEN
WE GOT DRESSED. SHE WAS THE
PERSON THAT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE PRESS. WHEN WE PRESS SHE
SCORED POINTS FOR US. SHE
REBOUNDED. SHE WAS THE VOCAL AND
EMOTIONAL LEADER OF OUR TEAM.
THIS THIS WORLD STRUGGLING FOR A
GREAT PEOPLE, UM AND AL AL WAS
WAS WAS THAT PERSON GOING TO DO
GREAT THINGS AND MADE US ALL
BETTER, AND WE WERE FORTUNATE TO
HAVE THE TIME WITH HER THAT THAT
WE HAD SHE WAS A GIFT. SHE’S
CERTAINLY WAS. THERE IS A HUGE
VIGIL THAT’S PLANNED HERE IN THE
CLOSET COMMUNITY AT 7 30 TONIGHT
AT THE FOOTBALL FIELD, A CLOSET
HIGH SCHOOL. THERE WAS ALSO A
BASKETBALL GAME SCHEDULED FOR
TONIGHT THAT HAS BEEN CANCELED
SO THAT STUDENTS AND STAFF CAN
BE TOGETHER. START GRIEVING
TOGETHER. I’M ALSO TOLD THAT
THERE IS MORE PLANNED IN THE
FUTURE, AS WELL AS SOME SORT OF
ATHLETIC FUND AND MEMORIAL FOR
THIS YOUNG LIFE. TAKEN TOO SOON
REPORTING LIVE IN CLASS, AND I’M
PRIYA MANN DEVIN BACK TO YOU. IT
IS SO VERY RIGHT. ALRIGHT PRIYA
. THIS NEXT PORTION OF THE STORY
IS JUST STILL SO HARD TO IMAGINE
, BUT WE’VE NOW REACHED THE
POINT WHERE SOME PEOPLE TALK
ABOUT THE MASS SHOOTINGS. THEY
SURVIVED IN THE PLURAL MASS
SHOOTINGS, AND THAT’S CERTAINLY
THE CASE WITH ONE STUDENT HERE
AT MSU, WHO BACK IN 2012. WAS
ATTENDING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT
WENT ON LOCKDOWN DURING THE
SANDY HOOK SHOOTINGS THAT ENDED
UP KILLING 28 PEOPLE. THAT
STUDENT IS NOW SPEAKING OUT OR
JACQUELINE FRANCIS HERE IN EAST
LANSING WITH ME HAS THAT PART OF
THE STORY. IT’S JUST HARD TO
IMAGINE IT ALL, JACQUELINE
DE’VEON, SHE SAID. YOU DON’T
THINK IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN THE
FIRST TIME AND THEN IT HAPPENS
AGAIN. JACKIE MATTHEWS HAS GROWN
UP SANDY HOOK STRONG AND NOW
SPARTAN, STRONG. I AM 21 YEARS
OLD, AND THIS IS THE SECOND MASS
SHOOTING THAT I HAVE NOT LIVED
THROUGH. 10 YEARS AND TWO MONTHS
AGO, I SURVIVED THE SANDY HOOK
SHOOTING. IT’S THE TIKTOK VIDEO
THAT’S GOT THE NATION’S
ATTENTION. JACKIE MATTHEWS
REMEMBERS IT LIKE IT WAS
YESTERDAY. I WAS IN SIXTH GRADE
. SO THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL IN
NEWTOWN AND BASICALLY EVERY
SINGLE PUBLIC SCHOOL AND PRIVATE
SCHOOL IN NEWTOWN AND ALL THE
SURROUNDING TOWNS WERE PUT IN A
LOCKDOWN FOR MANY HOURS AND UM
UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S BEEN 10
YEARS NOW, AND WE’RE STILL
EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING. SO
SHE’S NOW A SENIOR AT MICHIGAN
STATE UNIVERSITY, WHERE SHE
SPENT THE NIGHT SHELTERING IN
PLACE AS GUNSHOTS RING OUT ON
CAMPUS. I MEAN, IT FELT LIKE A
MIRROR IMAGE AT AN OLDER AGE AND
I JUST WOULD NEVER WISH THAT ON
ANYBODY ALL GROWN UP, BARRICADED
INSIDE HER HOUSE MONDAY NIGHT,
SHE FELT JUST AS POWERLESS. IT’S
NERVE WRACKING BECAUSE YOU WISH
YOU COULD DO SOMETHING, BUT YOU
CAN’T DID YOU EVER THINK YOU’D
BE IN THIS SITUATION AGAIN? NO,
I MEAN BUT YOU NEVER KNOW
WHENEVER THINKS IT’S GOING TO
HAPPEN TO THEM UNTIL IT DOES,
AND I THINK THAT’S THE SCARY
PART. JUST LIKE LAST TIME. SHE
KNOWS IT’S A TRAUMA SHALL CARRY
WITH HER. AND JUST LIKE LAST
TIME, SHE WON’T STOP FIGHTING
FOR CHANGE. BUT WE CAN GO LONGER
, JUST PROVIDE LOVE AND PRAYERS
AND NEEDS TO BE LEGISLATION. IT
NEEDS TO BE ACTION. IT’S NOT
OKAY. WE CAN NO LONGER ALLOW
THIS TO HAPPEN. LIKE SO MANY OF
HER CLASSMATES, JACKIE SAYS
SHE’LL LIKELY GO HOME THIS WEEK
FOR HER. THAT’S NEWTOWN,
CONNECTICUT, SPEND TIME WITH
FAMILY BEFORE COMING BACK NEXT
WEEK FOR CLASSES REPORTING LIVE
FROM MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS. JACQUELINE FRANCIS LOCAL
4. JACQUELINE. IT’S JUST
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. ALRIGHT WE
ARE GOING TO SPEND JUST A LITTLE
BIT OF TIME FOCUSING ON THE
SHOOTER. IN THIS CASE HE’S BEEN
IDENTIFIED TO US NOW, AS ANTHONY
MCCRAY. HE APPARENTLY STARTED
THE SHOOTING SPREE AT BERKEY
HALL, THEN MOVED TO THE BUILDING
BEHIND ME HERE AT THE AT THE
STUDENT UNION BEFORE LEAVING
CAMPUS AND TURNING THE GUN ON
HIMSELF JUST A FEW MILES OFF OF
CAMPUS. FROM WHERE WE’RE
STANDING RIGHT HERE. WE’VE
DECIDED NOT TO AIR ANY IMAGES OF
MCRAE OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE
VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES. BUT
THERE IS SOME IMPORTANT
INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE LEARNED
ABOUT THE SHOOTER, KIMBERLY YEAH
, DEVIN SCILLIAN ABOUT THAT
SHOOTER. YOU MENTIONED HIS NAME
. ANTHONY DWAYNE MCRAE. KAREN
YOU’VE BEEN WORKING SINCE EARLY
THIS MORNING TO TRY TO GET
ANSWERS. YOU TOLD US AT FIVE
O’CLOCK NOW THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
IS WEIGHING IN ON THIS AND THIS
IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE AS WE
FIRST BROKE ON LOCAL 4 NEWS AT
SIX. A.M. ANTHONY MCCRAY DID
HAVE A GUN CRIME CONVICTION THAT
WAS BACK IN 2019. SO THE
QUESTION IS IF HE WAS CONVICTED
OF A FELONY, OR I SHOULD SAY HE
WAS CHARGED WITH A FELONY. IT
WAS PLED DOWN TO A MISDEMEANOR,
BUT IT LEAVES YOU WONDERING IF
IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL FOR HIM TO
BE IN POSSESSION OF A GUN
YESTERDAY. WELL, ATTORNEY
GENERAL DANA NESSEL WANTS TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT. THIS IS
AN INDIVIDUAL WHO JUST RECENTLY
WAS OFF PROBATION FOR A GUN
OFFENSE IN THE EXACT SAME AREA.
UM WE KNOW THAT HE, UH, HAD HIS
PROBATION EXPECT EXTENDED A
COUPLE OF TIMES. I’M NOT SURE
WHY, AND I’D LIKE TO KNOW THAT
WE KNOW THAT THE GUN THAT HE WAS
CARRYING HE WAS OBVIOUSLY
CARRYING ILLEGAL ILLEGALLY. HE
WAS A CONVICTED FELON. IT’S A
CRIME FOR HIM TO EVEN POSSESS
THAT WEAPON. HOW DID HE GET IT?
OKAY SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE
CRIME. IT WAS BACK IN JUNE OF
2019. MCRAE WAS ARRESTED AND
CHARGED WITH A MISDEMEANOR
FIREARMS. HE WAS CHARGED WITH A
FELONY FIRE ARMS THAT HE WAS
CAUGHT WITH THAT LOADED GUN
CONCEALED. HE WENT TO COURT PLED
DOWN TO A MISDEMEANOR AND THEN
JUST SORT OF JUST ONE DAY IN
JAIL, FOLLOWED BY A YEAR OF
PROBATION, EVEN THOUGH HE COULD
HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO A MAXIMUM
OF TWO YEARS IN PRISON. SO NOW
WE’RE GOING TO GO FROM THERE AND
WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
COURTS. WE WANTED TO KNOW WHY
MCRAE ONLY GOT PROBATION, SO WE
DID REACH OUT TO THE INGHAM
COUNTY COURT AND WE WERE TOLD
MICHIGAN SENTENCING GUIDELINES
ARE ADVISORY NOT MANDATORY. THE
COURT LOOKS AT PRIOR CONVICTIONS
, WHETHER THERE ARE VICTIMS AND
OTHER FACTORS. AND IN THIS CASE
, UM COUNTY PROSECUTOR JOHN
DWAYNE INSISTED SENTENCING
GUIDELINES WERE FOLLOWED. SAID
QUOTE. IT IS A ROUTINE MATTER IN
NEARLY ALL CRIMINAL CASES THAT
THE RECOMMENDED SENTENCE IS NOT
THE SAME AS THE LEGAL MAXIMUM,
EVEN IF HE WERE CONVICTED BY A
JURY OF THE ORIGINAL CHARGE.
ANTHONY MCCRAY WOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR A JAIL OR
PRISON SENTENCE. SO IN THE
MEANTIME, WE’RE HEARING FROM THE
CRAZE, FATHER, MICHAEL HE CAN’T
EXPLAIN HIS SON’S ACTIONS, HE
TOLD NBC NEWS. QUOTE. YOU NEVER
KNOW WHAT YOUR KID WILL DO WHEN
THEY WALK OUT THE DOOR. THE
ELDER MCRAE SAID HE DID NOTICE
THAT HIS SON DIDN’T SEEM TO CARE
ABOUT ANYTHING ANYMORE, AND HE
SAYS HE ENCOURAGED HIM TO SEEK
COUNSELING AND ATTEND CHURCH
WITH HIM. BUT HIS SON WASN’T
INTERESTED, INSISTING THAT HE
WAS OKAY. AND HE DIDN’T NEED
HELP, APPARENTLY WAS VERY UPSET
WITH HIS MOM’S DEATH BACK IN
2020, BUT THIS WHOLE TALK OF
MENTAL HEALTH. OBVIOUSLY MHM,
THERE’S MORE. SHAWN LEY HAS
SPENT THE DAY AT THE HOUSE WHERE
MCCRAY LIVED WITH HIS FATHER,
AND YOU’RE HEARING A LOT FROM
NEIGHBORS FROM WHOM LAST NIGHT
WAS REALLY TENSE. SEAN. KAREN WE
ALSO HAVE SOME NEW INFORMATION
TONIGHT. I JUST HEARD FROM THE
MAYOR’S OFFICE RIGHT HERE IN
LANSING. THEY TELL ME THEY’VE
BEEN IN MEETINGS TODAY WITH MSP
INVESTIGATORS WHO ARE NOT ONLY
INVESTIGATING MCCRAE, BUT EVERY
AND ALL CONTACT THEY CAN FIND
THAT HE MAY HAVE HAD WITH LOCAL
POLICE. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW
RIGHT NOW FROM THE HOUSE WHERE
MCCRAY WAS STAYING WITH HIS
FATHER. LATE TODAY, THIS COUPLE
ARRIVING AT THE HOME WHERE THE
SUSPECTED MSU SHOOTER ANTHONY
MCCRAY WAS LIVING WITH HIS
FATHER. THEY HOP THE GATE
WINNING SIDE AND DID NOT WANT TO
SPEAK WITH US WHEN THEY LEFT.
DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK
WITH HIM? THE ENGINE BEHIND THE
MCCRAY’S FATHER, SAYING TODAY
HIS SON TURNED EVIL AND MEAN
WHEN HIS MOTHER DIED TWO YEARS
AGO. IT’S ALSO WHERE NEIGHBOR
MEGAN BENDER SAYS POLICE WERE
CALLED LAST SUMMER FOR ANTHONY
MCCRAY FIRING A GUN OUT OF THE
BACK DOOR OF THE HOME. HE WAS
FIRING A WEAPON OUT OF THE BACK
DOOR. WHATEVER YEAH, LIKE THE
NEIGHBORS, CALLED THE POLICE,
BECAUSE HE WAS SHOOTING A GUN
OUT THE BACK DOOR. BENDER WAS
LISTENING TO THE CHAOS OF THE
SHOOTING RAMPAGE ON HER SCANNER
LAST NIGHT, WHERE 911 WAS
FLOODED WITH FALSE CALLS, AND
CREWS HAD TO QUICKLY CHECK EACH
FALSE REPORT AS THEY CLEARED
BUILDING AFTER BUILDING ON SCENE
. WE’RE GETTING A REPORT THAT
SOMEONE WOULD RECEIVED US
PICTURE WAS POSSIBLY TWO
SUBJECTS CARRYING A HUNTING
RIFLE. ON FACEBOOK THAT THERE
WERE THREE TOTAL SHOOTERS. BACK
YOUR LIFE. THAT WAS ONE OF THOSE
FALSE REPORTS THAT WENT ON FOR
HOURS. POLICE HAVING TO CHASE
THOSE DOWN DISPATCHERS, SAYING
STAYING SO CALM THROUGHOUT THE
HOURS AND HOURS OF HAVING TO DO
THAT YESTERDAY WALTZ AT THE SAME
TIME CLEARING BUILDINGS TO KEEP
PEOPLE SAFE. ALSO BEHIND ME
THERE, THE SMALL RED HOUSE
MCRAE’S FATHER, STILL INSIDE IS
NOT COME OUT TO SAY ANYTHING TO
US YET IF HE DOES, WE’LL
CERTAINLY BRING THAT TO YOU. AS
FAR AS MOTIVE AGAIN. NO MOTIVE
HERE. THE CAMPUS IS JUST FIVE
MILES THAT WAY. MCRAE’S BELIEVED
TO HAVE WALKED THAT WAY AND
AGAIN AS YOU KAREN HIS FATHER
SAYS HIS SON WAS UPSET ABOUT THE
DEATH OF HIS MOTHER, AND THAT’S
WHEN HE ALLEGEDLY GOT ANGRY AND
BECAME ISOLATED BACK TO YOU.
SPENDING LOTS OF TIME IN A SMALL
ROOM BY HIMSELF, PLAYING VIDEO
GAMES, APPARENTLY ALRIGHT, SEAN.
WE APPRECIATE THE REPORTING AND
THE UNCOVERING OF WE REALLY DO.
THANK YOU MUCH MORE TO COME HERE