In 2019, Anthony McRae was charged with a gun-related felony: carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, per The Washington Post. The gun in question was registered to him (per The Detroit News). A second misdemeanor charge was added later: possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle. When McRae pled guilty to the second charge, the first was dropped. He was put on a 12-month probation, which was later extended to 18 months. In a statement, Prosecutor John Dewane of Ingham County, where MSU is located, said the misdemeanor charge wouldn’t have prevented McRae from buying firearms once his probation was over, based on state law. A felony charge would have.
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McRae apparently bought two guns in 2021, after his probation ended: a Taurus and a Hi-Point 9mm (per CNN). He lied to his father about it after his father heard shooting from their backyard. Though police have located a weapon belonging to McRae, they haven’t yet said if it’s the one used in the MSU shooting (via CNN).
