Vigils for Michigan State shooting victims • Shooter 'changed' after mom died, brother says • Gun safety push
WEDNESDAY NEWS HIT - Thousands of friends and family convened at Metro Detroit schools Tuesday night to honor the three students who died in Monday's mass shooting at Michigan State University.
Some thousand-strong showed up in Clawson to pay tribute to 20-year-old Alexandria Verner. There were 24 seconds of silence held at one point in the night, the same number as her basketball jersey when she played in high school.
In Grosse Pointe Farms, there was only standing room for those there to honor Brian Fraser and Arielle Diamond Anderson.
There was no shortage of homage that was paid last night. All three students were loved by so many.
"He was just the nicest, most genuine person," said Henry Chen, who pledged alongside Fraser at the two's fraternity. "I mean, I know I always had someone to talk to, if I needed it. He was just the life of the party."
Fraser graduated from Grosse Pointe South. Anderson, a resident of Harper Woods who graduated from Grosse Pointe North, was considered a compassionate and driven young woman. She had dreams of being a doctor.
"I came here for the vigil for prayer to hopefully that one day soon we stop having to bury our children from senseless violence," said Valerie Kindle, the Harper Woods mayor.
Also in attendance was the clergy from St. Paul, who paid respects to all of those victimized by the tragedy.
"My mind and heart is thinking about those girls and those families too," said Father Jim Bilot. "And I think that it helps the community here to know how much the three of them were connected, but they didn’t even know each other."
Verner was remembered for her gift as an athlete and the leadership role she embodied both among her teammates and beyond. She graduated in 2020.
"Absolute heartbreak, said Aliyah Vesper. "It was the last thing I was expecting to hear this morning. I’ve known her for so long, her family has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember."
Read more about the victims here.
MSU Shooter changed after mom died, brother says
The brother of Anthony McRae, the suspected gunman in Monday's mass shooting in East Lansing, said "only God knows" why the 43-year-old opened fired on students on MSU's campus.
The Lansing resident didn't have any affiliation to the school and thus the reasons for his actions remain a mystery. He died after shooting himself after police found him. His brother said that McRae had changed after his mom died in September 2020 and that he stopped taking care of himself.
"He lived a sheltered world," Michael McRae told Fox News Digital in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. "He started changing. He was getting more and more bitter and angry. I'm asking him, ‘What’s on your mind?' But he wouldn't talk to me."
Family made efforts to take Anthony to church and keep him involved in activities. The suspect's history of mental illness may have been a factor in the shooting. Officers also told dispatchers that they were called for a welfare check at his home the previous week.
Here is Fox News Digital's full interview with Michael McRae
Michigan Democrats eye gun reform measures
The Senate majority leader said the legislature would be taking action on gun control measures in the wake of the mass shooting on Michigan State's campus.
Democrat Winnie Brinks of Grand Rapids said safe storage laws, tougher universal background checks, and red flag laws are all on the table as lawmakers weigh how far they should push new regulations.
Brinks' comments came around the same time that both Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Rep. Elissa Slotkin made remarks during a press conference that came with a police update. Both characterized the scourge of gun violence as a uniquely American problem. House Speaker Joe Tate released a statement about the "choice" before lawmakers and residents.
"We can continue to debate the reasons for gun violence in America, or we can act. We cannot continue to do the same thing over and over again and hope for a different outcome," he said.
Psychologist: Don't keep trauma bottled up
Trauma appears in varying forms. Whether those that survived the shooting or those that responded to recovery efforts - the strain of tragedy could be seen on those touched by the shooting at Michigan State Monday.
A stark example is the Sparrow Hospital Chief's efforts to explain the response from medical teams as victims came in. "I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, sorry," said Dr. Denny Martin, fighting back tears.
According to psychologists that manage trauma, those tears shouldn't be held back. "This is trauma," said Dr. Sarah Kiperman, of Corewell Health. "I think, with trauma a common experience that we have is shock. It’s okay to not feel okay, and it’s okay to be struggling right now."
Medical professionals say it’s crucial to give yourself time and space to process a traumatic incident. This means even if you are hundreds of miles away watching the incident unfold on TV. "I would say the best thing we could all do is proactively seek help rather than waiting to realize that we are not okay," Kiperman said.
Child killed after being hit by bus outside Wayne middle school
A child was fatally hit by a school bus outside Franklin Middle School in Wayne on Tuesday.
The accident happened in the area of Howe and Annapolis, according to Wayne police which said the child attended the school.
It happened around 3 p.m.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the accident to call Lt. Amore at 734-721-1414 x1527.
Live on FOX 2
Daily Forecast
It's going to be a warm and windy Wednesday. Some potential for snow is also expected Thursday. And temperatures are going to plummet into freezing conditions Friday. Get ready for a classic three-day stretch of Michigan weather.
What else we're watching
- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has confirmed that the downing of an object over Lake Huron required a second missile after a first one missed. It landed "harmlessly" in the water, Chairman Mark Milley said.
- The Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority plans to listen in on a new presentation from parking consultants about the best way to go forward with the city's parking spaces. The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
- Ford has stopped producing its F-150 Lightning truck. According to reports confirmed by the automaker, engineers are struggling with a battery problem.
- Jay Farner, the CEO of Rocket Mortgage whose been with the company for more than two decades, is set to retire.
- A nonprofit coalition has created a free app that helps Detroit residents check their property tax bills. It's called Search and Compare.
What we know about the Ohio train derailment
A train carrying toxic chemicals derailed earlier this month in eastern Ohio, resulting in a large fire, evacuations of residents, and a controlled release and burn of hazardous fumes from the wreckage.
About 50 cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in the fiery crash on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, located near the Pennsylvania state line. Vinyl chloride was later released into the air from five of those cars to get rid of the highly flammable, toxic chemicals in a controlled environment, creating a dark plume of smoke.
Residents from nearby neighborhoods in Ohio and Pennsylvania were evacuated because of health risks from the fumes, but have since been allowed to return. But concerns over the quality of air and water have begun mounting for people in the area and Google search traffic indicated ongoing public interest in the story.