Killer’s deadly four-hour rampage through Michigan State University campus: Gunman stalked streets and buildings as he shot indiscriminately killing three and leaving five in critical condition
- Killer strode into academic building Berkey Hall at 8:18 pm and killed two people
- Minutes later he entered the MSU Union building and shot dead another victim
- Police found the gunman dead miles from the scene of his crimes hours later
A gunman opened fire Monday night at Michigan State University, killing three people and wounding five more, before fatally shooting himself miles away after an hours-long manhunt.
Police announced the 43-year-old shooter’s death early Tuesday, four hours after he opened fire on innocent bystanders on MSU campus.
The killer strode into an academic building named Berkey Hall at 8:18 pm, blasting indiscriminately at the occupants. Two people died at the scene and three others sustained serious injuries.
Cops descended on the scene in response to a torrent of urgent 911 calls but the killer had already left the premises, heading west out of the building and stalking along campus roads as he hunted for his next victims.
Less than 15 minutes later, gunshots were reported at the MSU Union building, a popular spot for students to eat, drink and study just a 10-minute walk from Berkey Hall.
One more person was killed at the MSU Union and two more were injured.
Police in Michigan released this photo of the shooter in a bid to track him down. It appears he withdrew a pistol from his jacket in these stills from CCTV footage
Police gave their first press conference at 11pm. Chris Rozman later confirmed that the shooter has died after the rampage on Monday night
Security camera footage released by police at 10pm – just over an hour and a half after the shooting – showed the gunman heading north out of the MSU Union, having just committed his third murder.
How terror unfolded at Michigan State University campus
- 8:18pm: Gunman opens fire in Berkey Hall academic building, killing two
- Gunman leaves Berkey hall just before cops arrive and moves through University campus on foot towards MSU Union building
- 8:30pm: Gunman enters MSU Union building and kills one more victim
- Gunman flees MSU Union through northern exit and heads into East Lansing city before cops arrive
- 10pm: Cops release security cam footage and description of suspect
- Midnight: Gunman found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wound at undisclosed location north of murder scene in East Lansing City
He was described as a short Black man with red shoes, a jean jacket and a ball cap. Stills from the footage appeared to show him pulling a pistol from his jacket as he headed up a flight of stairs.
As cops scoured the MSU campus about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Detroit in an attempt to locate and neutralize the threat, the gunman had already fled the campus and headed north into the city of East Lansing.
A breathless chase for the killer unfolded over the next three hours, as cops urged the public to provide any tips on the gunman while locking down the campus and ordering students to remain in their dorms.
The 43-year-old man was later found by officers miles away from the scene of his crimes, having killed himself with a ‘self-inflicted gunshot wound,’ interim deputy chief of Michigan State University police Chris Rozman said.
His name was not immediately released, nor any details about the gun or what police found at the scene. Rozman said the man was not a student or employee and had no affiliation with Michigan State.
‘We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight. That is part of our ongoing investigation,’ the deputy chief said.
‘This truly has been a nightmare we’re living tonight.’
University students embrace following the shooting on campus on Monday night
Students gather on the campus of Michigan State University after a shelter in place order was lifted early Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, in East Lansing, Mich
The 43-year-old man was shot dead in the city of East Lansing
READ MORE: Terrified Michigan State University students tell how they barricaded themselves in their dorms amid shooting
The shooting at Michigan State is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the US.
Dozens of people have died in mass shootings so far in 2023, most notably in California where 11 people were killed as they welcomed the Lunar New Year at a dance hall popular with older Asian Americans.
In 2022, there were more than 600 mass shootings in the US in which at least four people were killed or injured, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
‘This is a uniquely American problem,’ Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lamented.
Rozman said two people were killed at Berkey and another was killed at the MSU Union, while five people were in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital.
By 10:15pm, police said Berkey, as well as nearby residence halls, were secured.
Ted Zimbo said he was walking to his residence hall when he encountered a woman with a ‘ton of blood on her.’
‘She told me, ”Someone came in our classroom and started shooting,” Zimbo told The Associated Press. ‘Her hands were completely covered in blood. It was on her pants and her shoes. She said, ”It’s my friend’s blood”.’
Zimbo said the woman left to find a friend’s car while he returned to his SUV in a parking deck and threw a blanket over himself to hide for three hours.
READ MORE: Michigan State University suspends all sporting events, as well as classes and all other activities on campus
Ryan Kunkel, 22, was attending a class in the Engineering Building when he became aware of the shooting from a university email. Kunkel and about 13 other students turned off the lights and acted like there ‘was a shooter right outside the door,’ he said.
‘Nothing came out of anyone’s mouth’ for over four hours, he said.
‘I wasn’t ready to accept that this is really going on next door, like right next to me. It’s on my campus,’ Kunkel said. ‘This is supposed to be a place where I’m coming, learning and bettering myself. And instead, students are getting hurt.’
Before the gunman was found dead, WDIV-TV meteorologist Kim Adams, whose daughter attends Michigan State, told viewers that students were worn down by the hours-long saga.
‘They’ve been hiding, all the lights off in a dark room,’ Adams said.
Aedan Kelley, a junior who lives a half-mile (less than a kilometer) east of campus, said he locked his doors and covered his windows ‘just in case.’ Sirens were constant, and a helicopter hovered overhead.
‘It’s all very frightening,’ Kelley said. ‘And then I have all these people texting me wondering if I’m OK, which is overwhelming.’
Michigan State has about 50,000 students, including 19,000 who live on campus. All classes, sports and other activities were canceled for 48 hours.
Interim university President Teresa Woodruff said it would be a time ‘to think and grieve and come together.’
‘This Spartan community – this family – will come back together,’ Woodruff said.
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