TRAGEDY. AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. I HEARD PEOPLE SCREAMING, THEY’RE SHOOTING, AND
THAT’S WHEN I BEGAN TO THREE
STUDENTS KILLED FIVE FIGHTING
FOR THEIR LIVES AFTER A GUNMAN
OPENS FIRE ON CAMPUS AND HEROES
FROM THAT NIGHT VISIBLY SHAKEN
BY WHAT UNFOLDED NOW IS, CLASSES
ARE CANCELED. INVESTIGATORS ARE
FOCUSING ON THE WHY WE WILL GET
THROUGH THIS TOGETHER. AND WE
WILL DO IT. BUT THE FULL SUPPORT
OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN IN THE
U. S FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THANK
YOU FOR JOINING US THIS
AFTERNOON. I’M RHONDA WALKER
ALONGSIDE JASON COLTHORPE THERE
IN EAST LANSING. WE HAVE A
SPECIAL HOUR LONG EDITION OF
LOCAL 4 NEWS AT NOON ON AN
INCREDIBLY TOUGH DAY FOR SPARTAN
FAMILIES SHOOTER OPENING FIRE AT
TWO LOCATIONS ON MICHIGAN STATE
UNIVERSITY’S CAMPUS AND JASON AS
WE ARE LEARNING HERE IN OUR
NEWSROOM. TWO OF THOSE VICTIMS
ARE FROM RIGHT HERE IN METRO
DETROIT. YEAH THE HUSTLE AND
BUSTLE. RHONDA HAS RETURNED TO
GRAND RIVER AND EAST LANSING ON
THE OUTSKIRTS OF MICHIGAN STATE.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME,
THE ISSUE UNION STILL TAPED OFF
CLOSED DOWN BERKEY HALL, THE
SAME, WHICH IS JUST DOWN THE
STREET HERE, AND AS YOU
MENTIONED, WE’RE STARTING TO
FILL IN THE GAPS OF INFORMATION
THAT WE DIDN’T HAVE ALL THROUGH
THE NIGHT LAST NIGHT. AND THAT
INCLUDES SOME OF THE VICTIMS
HERE AGAIN. THREE KILLED FIVE IN
THE HOSPITAL. WE WANT TO GET TO
HANK WINCHESTER THIS AFTERNOON
WHO HAS NEW INFORMATION ON THE
VICTIMS HERE, HANK. JASON GOOD
AFTERNOON TO YOU. I’M HERE IN
THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN GROSSE
POINT. WHY? GROSSE POINT, WHILE
WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS HERE
IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT TWO OF
THOSE STUDENTS FROM MICHIGAN
STATE THAT WERE KILLED LAST
NIGHT, TWO OF THE VICTIMS LAST
NIGHT FROM THAT MASS SHOOTING IN
MICHIGAN STATE CALLED GROSSE
POINTE HOME. ONE A STUDENT AT
GROSSE POINTE NORTH, THE OTHER
AT GROSSE POINTE SOUTH. TAKE A
LOOK AS I TALK WITH YOU ABOUT
THIS TRAGEDY, THE STATEMENT THAT
WENT OUT FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
JUST A SHORT TIME AGO. HE
EXPLAINS THAT HE HIMSELF IS THE
SPARTAN PARENTS. HE WAS
DEVASTATED TO LEARN ABOUT THESE
THIS TRAGEDY AND NEVER IN HIS
WILDEST DREAMS THAT HE BELIEVED
THAT TWO OF THE STUDENTS THAT
CALLED THIS COMMUNITY HOME WOULD
BE VICTIMS OF THIS MASS SHOOTING
LAST NIGHT. WE UNDERSTAND ONE OF
THE VICTIMS MALE STUDENT, THE
OTHER A FEMALE STUDENT. WE HAVE
MORE INFORMATION, BUT OBVIOUSLY
THAT IS NOT FOR US TO RELEASE
THAT IS UP TO INVESTIGATORS THAT
IS UP TO THE UNIVERSITY THAT IS
UP TO THE FAMILIES TO DEAL WITH
THIS TRAGEDY RIGHT NOW, NOW OUR
THOUGHTS AND OUR PRAYERS GO OUT
TO THE PEOPLE IN THIS VERY CLOSE
KNIT COMMUNITY. AS THEY ARE
STARTING TO PROCESS ALL THIS
INFORMATION AGAIN. THAT NOTE
WENT OUT TO PARENTS OF STUDENTS
IN THE DISTRICT HERE IN POINT.
JUST A SHORT TIME AGO, THE
SUPERINTENDENT CONFIRMING AGAIN
THAT TWO STUDENTS THAT CALLED
GROSSE POINTE HOME ONE GROSSE
10.4 STUDENT, A MALE STUDENT AT
GROSSE POINTE, SOUTH STUDENT OF
FEMALE STUDENT, UH, DIED LAST
NIGHT. SADLY IN THAT TRAGEDY AT
MICHIGAN STATE, THE
SUPERINTENDENT DID GO ON TO SAY
THAT GRIEF COUNSELORS WOULD BE
AVAILABLE NOT ONLY FOR STUDENTS,
BUT FOR MEMBERS OF THIS
COMMUNITY THAT ARE STARTING TO
PROCESS THIS INFORMATION WE ARE
MAKING OUR WAY TO THE
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING. TO TALK
WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT ABOUT
THIS TRAGEDY AND HELP THIS
COMMUNITY DEAL WITH THIS
INCREDIBLE LOSS JASON BACK TO
YOU IN EAST LANSING. YEAH
UNFORTUNATELY, HITTING VERY
CLOSE TO HOME. THE WHOLE
SITUATION ALREADY, JUST ABOUT
EVERYONE TOUCHED IN SOME WAY
KNOWS SOMEONE EITHER THEIR
IMMEDIATE FAMILY OR THEMSELVES
OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO WENT TO THIS
UNIVERSITY OR GOES TO THE
UNIVERSITY AND I’M SURE MADE A
FEW PHONE CALLS IN THE LAST
NIGHT AND THIS MORNING TO THOSE
PEOPLE, AND THAT INCLUDES MYSELF
. I WENT HERE AND I’M VERY
FAMILIAR WITH THESE BUILDINGS
HAVE MANY CLASSES IN BERKEY
HALL. AND OFTENTIMES WE FINISHED
THERE AND WHAT? STRAIGHT DOWN TO
THE UNION. NOW, BOTH OF THESE
BUILDINGS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO THE
PUBLIC HALL IS AN ACADEMIC HALL.
THERE ARE CLASSES THAT GO INTO
THE EVENING. AND WHICH MEANS AT
EIGHT O’CLOCK AT NIGHT. THERE
ARE STILL STUDENTS CLASSES
TEACHERS STILL INVOLVED THERE,
AND THAT’S WHAT THIS GUNMAN DID
LAST NIGHT, WAS ABLE TO START
THERE AND THEN WALKED DOWN TO
THE UNION AND THE UNION. ANYBODY
WHO KNOWS WE SHOULD GET STATE
NOTICES A UNIQUE PLACES LIKE THE
HEARTBEAT OF CAMPUS. YOU WALK
IN, AND IT’S A WIDE RANGING
BUILDING. YOU CAN SEE STUDENTS
IN EVERY DIRECTION LOUNGING.
GATHERING GOING OVER ASSIGNMENTS
. IT HAS A FOOD COURT OF BOWLING
ALLEY MEETING ROOMS, CLASSROOMS
, ALL SORTS OF THINGS, AND
THAT’S WHERE THIS GUNMAN HITS
SECOND AND KILLED ONE PERSON
HERE NOW, AS WE SAY THERE ARE
FIVE OTHERS IN THE HOSPITAL. WE
WANT TO GET TO NICK MONACELLI,
WHO HAS MORE ON THAT FORCE. THIS
AFTERNOON, NICK JASON. GOOD
AFTERNOON TO YOU. SO YOU, OF
COURSE ARE THERE ON GRAND RIVER
IN FRONT OF A UNION? I AM ON THE
FIRST SIDE STREET IN THE CAMPUS
PAST THE GRAND RIVER BEHIND
BERKEY HALL, WHICH IS RIGHT OVER
HERE ON MY SHOULDER, THE BACK
SIDE OF IT. THE OTHER SIDE OF IT
IS WHAT IS FACING GRAND RIVER.
YOU CAN SEE THERE IS YELLOW
POLICE TAPE OF THE ENTIRE
BUILDING. STILL A CRIME SCENE.
IF YOU WERE WATCHING LOCAL 4
NEWS THIS MORNING, WE WERE
TALKING AT LENGTH ABOUT A PRESS
CONFERENCE THAT WAS HAPPENING AT
EIGHT O’CLOCK THIS MORNING WHERE
WE WERE HOPING TO GET NEW
INFORMATION AND WE’VE GOT A LOT
OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE VICTIMS
, ALL OF THEM BEING MICHIGAN
STATE STUDENTS WHERE THE VICTIMS
WERE SHOT TO HEAR BERKEY ONE AT
UNION. AND THE FIVE OTHERS THAT
ARE ALL STILL STILL IN CRITICAL
CONDITION THIS AFTERNOON.
SPARTAN COMMUNITY IS REELING
TODAY. GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER
SHARING WHAT MOST MICHIGANDERS
ARE FEELING TODAY. GRIEF SORROW
, ANGER AND MORE. ALL EIGHT OF
THE VICTIMS ARE MICHIGAN STATE
STUDENTS. THREE WERE KILLED TWO
AT BERKEY HALL, THE THIRD UNION
HALL. THE OTHER FIVE VICTIMS ARE
STILL IN CRITICAL CONDITION AT
SPARROW HOSPITAL. FOUR OF THEM
NEEDED SURGERY. THE TOP DOC.
THEY’RE OVERWHELMED BY THE
MEDICAL TEAMS WAITING FOR THE
PATIENTS. WE HAD GENERAL
SURGEONS, UH, CARDIOTHORACIC
SURGEONS, NEUROSURGEONS. TAKE A
LOOK. I DIDN’T GET A LAST SLEEP
LAST NIGHT STORY. SO MANY PEOPLE
THAT. JUST CAME IN. THIS
MORNING, MICHIGAN STATE
INVESTIGATORS REVEALING THE
SHOOTER AS 43 YEAR OLD ANTHONY
MCCRAY, WHO LIVED IN LANSING AND
HAD ABSOLUTELY NO TIES TO MSU.
WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT
THE MOTIVE WAS AT THIS POINT. WE
CAN CONFIRM THAT THE 43 YEAR OLD
SUSPECT HAD NO AFFILIATION TO
THE UNIVERSITY. HE WAS NOT A
STUDENT FACULTY STAFF, UM
CURRENT OR PREVIOUS SO THAT
THAT’S A UNKNOWN RIGHT NOW, AND
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND IS WHY THIS INCIDENT
OCCURRED. THE PHOTO POLICE
RELEASED FROM SECURITY CAMERAS
BECAME CRUCIAL. SOMEONE SAW
MCRAE RECOGNIZED HIM AND CALLED
911 AND AS MSP TROOPERS GOT
CLOSER, MCRAE TOOK HIS OWN LIFE.
BUT NOT BEFORE DESTROYING
OTHERS. WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS
TOGETHER. AND WE WILL DO IT WITH
THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN. IN THE U. S FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. THE MICHIGAN STATE
UNIVERSITY HAS MADE THE
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT ALL CLASSES
ARE CANCELED UNTIL MONDAY OF
NEXT WEEK AS FAR AS THE CAMPUS
GOES THERE, SAYING THAT
OPERATIONS WILL RESUME ON
THURSDAY. SOMETHING ELSE. JASON
THE YOU AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT EXTENSIVELY OVER THE PAST
12 HOURS AT THIS POINT IS THAT
WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT MENTAL
HEALTH IS GOING TO BE IN. MAYBE
THE MAJOR OVERRIDING,
OVERARCHING THEME OF THAT PRESS
CONFERENCE THIS MORNING WAS
MENTAL HEALTH AND THE INTERIM
PRESIDENT TALK SPECIFICALLY
SAYING THAT SHE IS ASKING THE
ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO HONOR THEIR
FEELINGS TO ALL OF THEIR
FEELINGS TO BE TRUTHFUL TO
THEMSELVES. SO IF THEY NEED HELP
IF THEY NEED TO TALK TO SOMEBODY
NOT TO BE ASHAMED OR TOO PROUD
TO ADMIT IT, JASON YEAH. AND
THEN THERE WAS THE FIRST THING
THE INTERIM PRESIDENT MISS YOU
TALKED ABOUT. WE NEED TO GRIEVE.
WE NEED TO HE’LL NEED TO COME
TOGETHER AND THE MENTAL HEALTH.
PART OF THIS ALSO APPLIES TO
POSSIBLE MOTIVATION FOR THERE’S
43 YEAR OLD ANTHONY MCCRAY. AS
WE’VE LEARNED THAT NBC HAS
SPOKEN TO HIS FATHER, AND HE
SAID THAT AFTER HIS MOTHER DIED
TWO YEARS AGO, HE BECAME BITTER
. HE BECAME EVIL. WE DON’T KNOW
IF THAT’S THE EXACT REASON BUT
WEO KNOW POLICE ARE
INVESTIGATING A NOTE THAT WAS
FOUND ON HIM WHEN HE KILLED
HIMSELF AND POLICE WERE ABLE TO
INVESTIGATE THAT PART OF IT.
OBVIOUSLY. WE’LL LEARN MORE
ABOUT THAT, AS THIS GOES FORWARD
, BUT FOR NOW, RHONDA, WE WANT
TO SEND IT BACK TO YOU IN
DETROIT AS THE CAMPUS HERE
CONTINUES TO JUST TRY AND HEAL.
IT’S GOING TO BE A PROCESS AS WE
SAY OVER THESE NEXT TWO DAYS AS
CAMPUS REMAINS CLOSED, AND THAT
INCLUDES ALL SPORTING EVENTS AS
WELL BACK TO YOU, JASON. THANK
YOU SO MUCH, AND WE SHOULD
MENTION THAT THAT INTERIM
PRESIDENT TERESA WOODRUFF
MENTIONED THAT THE HANNAH
COMMUNITY CENTER IS THE PLACE TO
GO FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
AND SOME MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
RIGHT THERE ON CAMPUS. SO IF YOU
KNOW OF ANYONE THERE IN EAST
LANSING THAT IS LOOKING FOR THAT
TYPE OF SUPPORT. IT IS BEING
OFFERED THERE AND WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE MORE ON THE SUSPECT.
ELECTED GUNMEN. KAREN DREW IS
GOING TO BE JOINING ME NOW, WITH
MORE INTO THE BACKGROUND THAT
SHE’S LEARNED ABOUT HIM AND SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT TROUBLING
THINGS THAT JASON JUST ALLUDED
TO. MEANWHILE WE’RE HEARING FROM
OUR LOCAL LAWMAKERS THAT ARE
RESPONDING. THEY’VE BEEN
RESPONDING THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT
TO THE SHOOTING ON THE CAMPUS,
AND WE DO WANT TO GET TO
CONGRESSMAN JOHN JAMES RESPONDS
. HE POSTED THIS TO TWITTER
SAYING, QUOTE WATCHING THE
SITUATION CLOSELY AT MSC WITH A
BROKEN HEART. THIS CULTURE OF
VIOLENCE AND MURDER MUST STOP
AND CONGRESSWOMAN RASHIDA TO
LEAVE, ALSO SAYING THAT THE
TRAUMA AND HEARTACHE THAT A
WHOLE COMMUNITY LIKE MSU AND
EAST LANSING IS EXPERIENCING
RIGHT NOW SHOULD NOT BECOME THE
NORM AND STAY WITH US THROUGHOUT
THE DAY. TODAY WE HAVE
CONTINUING COVERAGE, MULTIPLE
REPORTERS ARE COVERING EVERY
ANGLE OF THIS STORY FOR US
THROUGHOUT THE DAY, AND YOU’LL
FIND THAT CONTINUING HERE ON
LOCAL 4 LOCAL 4 PLUS AND
CLICKONDETROIT.COM AS WE GET A
LIVE LOOK AT CAMPUS RIGHT NOW.
AFTER THE BREAK, WE ARE GOING TO
BE TALKING AND TAKING A CLOSER
LOOK AT THE ALLEGED SHOOTER AND
HIS PAST OUR INVESTIGATOR
HERREN. DREW HAS BEEN DIGGING
INTO THAT PART OF OUR COVERAGE,