Monday (Feb.13) night, three Michigan State University students tragically lost their lives after a gunman opened fire at two locations on the campus before taking his own life. Sophomore Arielle Anderson, 19, who aspired to be a pediatric doctor, was among the fatally shot victims.
Anderson was a Michigan native, who her family remembers as a “straight-A student” that graduated from Grosse Pointe North High School. Her maternal grandmother, April Davis, told Detroit News that her granddaughter was “kind, loving, caring, compassionate, driven,” and “very family oriented.”
Anderson was also devoted to her aunt, April’s daughter, who had special needs.
“Arielle was literally just kind-hearted,” Tim Davis, Anderson’s uncle, told the outlet. “She was just sweet and innocent. She just stayed innocent her whole life. She was soft-spoken. Always helpful. In my opinion, she was just perfect the way she conducted herself. She had great manners and was respectful. She was very smart, a straight-A student. I’m pretty sure you will hear that from everybody.”
On the night of the shooting, police received reports around 8:15 p.m. that shots were fired in Berkey Hall, an academic building where classes were in session. Nearly 15 minutes later, the university sent out a message to its students and staff, informing them to “run, hide, fight.”
Shortly after, shots were heard coming from another building that occupied a dining hall.
When police responded to the first incident, 43-year-old Anthony McCrae was reportedly heading toward the MSU Union building, where the second shooting occurred.
A short time later, when police located McCrae on campus, he turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.
“We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight,” MSU interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman informed reporters during a briefing Monday night.
According to the report, McCrae was a convicted felon with a history of several weapons violations.
After the tragic incident, another aunt of Anderson’s, Chandra Davis, reality star and former “Flavor of Love” contestant who went by Deelishis, took to Instagram with a photo of the young sophomore seeking any information about her whereabouts after she and her family were unable to get in contact with her.
A short while later, Chandra pinned a message from another relative who wrote, “My sweet, beautiful niece … RIP baby girl.”
Authorities identified the two other shooting victims as Brian Fraser, a sophomore, and Alexandria Verner, a junior. Five others are in critical condition from their injuries.
“This is so unbelievable,” Kimella Spivey, Anderson’s aunt, said. “When does it stop? Really? I mean, it’s one after the other after the other. This school has been safe for so many years.”
The reasoning and motive behind the two building shootings are currently unknown. Authorities have not yet released any additional information.