The man authorities say killed three people and injured several others in a mass shooting at Michigan State University — before taking his own life — also threatened two public schools in Ewing Township, New Jersey, police officials said Tuesday. But officials say they don’t believe students are in danger.
Anthony McRae had “local ties to Ewing Township,” the Ewing Police Department said in a statement Tuesday. But Ewing police said he had not lived in the area for several years.
A motive for the Michigan shooting has yet to be identified.
“When McRae was found by police in Michigan, he had a note in his pocket that indicated a threat to two Ewing Public Schools,” the statement from Ewing police reads.
New Jersey police said the department was not aware of any other threats to schools or institutions in New Jersey.
Ewing public schools were closed on Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution,” police said.
A statement from the Ewing Township Board of Education said classes would resume Wednesday.
“Officers from Ewing and surrounding agencies were stationed at each closed public school as well as the other schools in the Township,” the police statement reads. “After further investigation, it has been determined that the incident is isolated to Michigan, and there is no threat to Ewing Schools.”
“Ewing Police Department has thoroughly investigated this incident and determined there is NO threat to any of Ewing’s schools,” said the Ewing public schools superintendent, Dr. David Gentile in a letter to the public school community. “We will resume normal operations tomorrow, February 15, 2023.”
McRae was found to have “a history of mental health issues,” Ewing police said.
This story has been updated with new information.
