Ingham County court records show that Anthony McRae, the Michigan State University shooter who took three lives on Monday evening, was initially charged with a felony for having a concealed weapon without a license in 2019.
He later pleaded guilty to a less serious misdemeanor offense for possessing a firearm inside a vehicle, causing the felony charge to be dropped.
At approximately 8 p.m. on Monday, McRae discharged his weapon inside a University building located near the northern border of the college in East Lansing. He then proceeded to the student union and again started shooting, as reported by law enforcement.
Three students lost their lives, and five others were critically injured. After a prolonged search, McRae was discovered dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an area off the school premises.
In the summer of 2019, McRae was apprehended and accused of having an unauthorized concealed weapon, a criminal offense that can result in a maximum prison sentence of five years.
In October 2019, the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office reduced the felony charge against McRae to a misdemeanor count for having a loaded firearm in a car, which is punishable by a maximum of two years in prison.
McRae was granted an 18-moth probationary period that concluded in May 2021.
In Michigan, it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm until three years have passed since all fines have been paid, any jail time has been served, and all terms of probation have been fulfilled.
John Dewane, the Prosecutor for Ingham County, declared on Tuesday that the initial felony accusation against McRae probably would not have led to prison time. "Even if he were convicted by a jury of the original charge, Anthony McRae would not have been recommended for a jail or prison sentence. The sentencing guideline score would have been the same if he had been convicted of either the original charge (carrying a concealed weapon) or the offense for which he was convicted (carrying a firearm in a vehicle)."
Towards the end of last year, Dewane assumed the position of prosecutor after Carol Siemon resigned. In August of 2021, Siemon had been subject to criticism from local law enforcement officials due to her introduction of a new policy that diminished the majority of felony firearm charges.
Siemon claimed at the time, "The new policy concerning Felony Firearm charging is related to dramatic racial inequity in how this and certain other laws have been charged and is not in any way linked to the goal that we share of keeping the public safe. The purported link between this policy and any future rise in gun violence is disingenuous and erroneous."
Authorities are attempting to decipher what may have been the reasons for McRae's shooting, given that he had no ties to the University.
Michael McRae, Anthony's brother, pointed out that after their mother's passing in 2020, Anthony began to alter his behavior and neglected himself.
Michael disclosed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday "He lived a sheltered world. He started changing. He was getting more and more bitter and angry. I'm asking him, Whats on your mind?' But he wouldn't talk to me."
Identification of the three victims who passed away was made public on Tuesday. Arielle Anderson, a junior from Grosse Pointe near Detroit, Brian Fraser - a sophomore from the same area, and Alexandria Verner, a junior from Clawson, Michigan, were all confirmed.
At E.W. Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, five victims who were critically injured in the shooting are still receiving medical care.
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