by Police released the names of two students who were killed in a mass shooting at Michigan State University on Monday night.
The two victims are Brian Fraser, a sophomore from Michigan State originally from Grosse Pointe, Mich., and Alexandria Verner, a junior from Clawson, the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety announced in a statement Tuesday.
“Alex was and is incredibly loved by all,” Clawson Public Schools Superintendent Billy Shellenbarger said in a statement. “She was an excellent student, athlete, leader and example of kindness every day of her life.”
Verner wrote on her LinkedIn page that she was studying integrated biology and anthropology at Michigan State.
Clawson Public Schools
Fraser and Verner were among the three students who were shot dead during the massacre, although authorities declined to publicly identify the third student at the request of that individual’s family.
“The Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety (MSU DPPS) is saddened to share information about the tragedy that occurred on campus on Monday night. We cannot begin to imagine the immeasurable amount of grief our community at Michigan campus is feeling,” police said in the statement. “We want to assure our community that our department, as well as our law enforcement partners, will conduct a comprehensive and thorough investigation into this tragic incident.”
Fraser was president of the state of Michigan’s Phi Delta Theta chapter, and the fraternity responded to news of his death Tuesday afternoon.
“Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity was devastated to learn that Brian Fraser, president of the Michigan Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Michigan State University, tragically lost his life on the night of February 13,” the organization wrote in twitter. The tweet included three photos of Fraser, one of which depicted him standing with a group of classmates on the grounds of the MSU fraternity house.
The fraternity praised Fraser’s leadership and described him as “a great friend” in a longer statement.
“As the leader of his chapter, Brian was a close friend of his Phi Delt brothers, the Greek community at Michigan State, and those with whom he interacted on campus,” the statement read. “Phi Delta Theta sends its deepest condolences to the Fraser family, the Michigan Beta Chapter and all those who loved Brian as they mourn his loss.”
Phi Delta Theta is coordinating with MSU “to connect the chapter with local campus services and opportunities to properly celebrate Brian’s life.”
The Doctor. M. Jon Dean, superintendent of the Grosse Pointe Public School System, said the third victim also graduated from the district.
“Earlier this morning, I learned that both Grosse Pointe North and South have a recent graduate who died of his injuries last night at MSU,” Dean wrote in a letter sent to the students’ families Tuesday. “I can’t even process what I just wrote. How can we impact our community in this personal way?”
“Our hearts go out to MSU and our GPPSS community,” the letter continued.
CBS News reached out to the superintendent’s office but did not receive an immediate response.
In addition to those who died in Monday’s shooting, five Michigan State students were shot and suffered serious injuries. All five were transported to nearby Sparrow Hospital for treatment after the massacre, officials confirmed on Tuesday, saying four of them required surgery and underwent those procedures immediately.
Each of the five injured students remained hospitalized in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon, said Dr. Denny Martin, interim president and chief marketing officer at Sparrow Hospital, in an update shared with CBS News. At the time, Martin said one of the students was alert and interacting with members of his care team. None of the injured students have been publicly identified.
Officers identified the shooter as Anthony Dwayne McRae, a 43-year-old man who police said had no clear affiliation with the state of Michigan or his community. Responding to a tip, authorities located McRae’s body about three hours after the mass shooting, around 11:30 pm Monday night, according to MSU public safety.
The suspect was found dead in the city of Lansing from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. He was found with a note in his pocket that “indicates a threat” to two other schools in Ewing Township, New Jersey, officials confirmed, prompting both schools to temporarily close on Tuesday.
