According to an interview with his father on Tuesday, Anthony McRae, the gunman who police said killed three students and injured five others on Michigan State University’s campus Monday night, became a recluse and turned “evil and mean” after his mother’s death two years ago.
Michael McRae told NBC News his son had a difficult time handling the loss of his mother, Linda McRae, and his demeanor and outlook on life “changed” after she died of a stroke in 2020.
Anthony McRae quit his job at a warehouse and stayed in his room playing video games, his father said.
“He was a mama’s boy. He loved his mom. They were tight. His mom was like his sister,” Michael McRae told NBC News. “Everything happened so fast.”
Michael McRae said he encouraged his son to apply for jobs, seek counseling, and attend church with him but his son refused.
“He was grieving his mom. He wouldn’t let it go. He got bitter, bitter and bitter,” Michael McRae said. “His mom died, and he just started getting evil and mean. He didn’t care about anything anymore.”
Michael McRae said he did not know why his son targeted the school but believed he may have been trying to apply for a job there.
The shooter’s motive is still unknown, and he had no affiliation to the university and was not a student or staff member.
The three students who were killed in the shooting were identified as Ariel Anderson, Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner.
